December 2019 (Vol. 33, No. 12) by Preview 918

PLACES TO FIND A BOOK MORE THAN WORDS TWENTY-FIVE AND AN EXPERIENCE TO GET LOST IN

WHERE TO DINE

W H AT TO D O

WHERE TO FIND IT

WHEN IT’S HAPPENING

DECEMBER 2019

CHALK IT UP

EPIC FANTASY

INSIDE THE UNCANNY RESURGENCE OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

ARTIST ANA VELA CREATES MENU MASTERPIECES WITH MEMORABLE POP CULTURE

THE FAT TRAP

GIVE THE GIFT OF

cheers BRIGHTEN YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON WITH SELECTIONS FROM RILEY’S WINE & SPIRITS

WE’VE GOT THE SKINNY ON HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

RON WHITE CRISS ANGEL MISS SAIGON SWEET BOUTIQUE MCNELLIE’S CATERING GROUP ZIEGLER ART AND FRAME

PREVIEW918.COM J U S T V I S I T I N G ? L I V I N G LO C A L? W E ’ V E G OT YO U C OV E R E D.

M FROM THE MAYOR As mayor of Tulsa, it is my honor to welcome you to our great city. Whether you’re visiting, or have deep roots here, I invite you to take time to explore our beautiful city and discover all the things that set us apart from other cities. I highly recommend Preview 918 as your go-to guide to navigate our incredible city. For more than 30 years, Preview has covered the 918, offering Tulsans and visitors alike the inside scoop to area restaurants and cafés, lodging, local attractions and events, world-class entertainment venues, tourist destinations, and unique shopping venues that are bound to please and delight. Our city is home to the world’s greatest collection of western art at the Gilcrease Museum, as well as Italian Renaissance displays at the Philbrook Museum. It’s a treasure trove for lovers of architecture, from mid-century modern housing, to the downtown Art Deco District, and our iconic BOK Center, designed by the internationally acclaimed architect César Pelli.

Tulsa Roughnecks soccer. Or time a visit to coincide with special events, such as Tulsa Tough bike racing, the Tulsa Run, the Route 66 Marathon, and the NCAA basketball tournament. The Tulsa area offers more than 80 miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails for a great way to see Tulsa. Tulsa is also a city on the move. In 2018, we opened the Gathering Place. The Gathering Place is a world class riverfront park designed to welcome all to a vibrant and inclusive public space that engages, educates, and excites.

We connect with over 200,000 readers each month covering dining, fitness, retail, services, entertainment, people, events, lifestyles, and the arts. Preview 918 is freely distributed to over 650 locations in the Tulsa and Green Country area including QuikTrip, Reasor’s, over 100 hotels, Tulsa International Airport, casinos, retail shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars, medical offices, salons, gyms, and service providers. And many of those readers tell us that Preview 918 faithfully helps them identify their interests, wants, and needs.

Local advertising and business inquiries: 918-745-1190. To distribute Preview 918 at your place of business: 918‑745‑1190.

Sports spectators can look to the University of Tulsa or Oral Roberts University athletic programs, Tulsa Oiler hockey games, and

G.T. Bynum

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL, BRAND, AND STRATEGY Chris Greer chrisg@previewgreencountry.com

MANAGING PHOTOGRAPHER Marc Rains marc@previewgreencountry.com

MANAGING EDITOR | SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Michele Chiappetta michele@previewgreencountry.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chris Greer, Michele Chiappetta, Tiffany Duncan, Donna Leahey, Rob Harmon, G.K. Hizer, Gina Conroy, Lindsay Morris, John Tranchina, Jennifer Zehnder, Sarah Herrera, Ashton Greer, TravelOK.com

CREATIVE TEAM Jared Hood jared@previewgreencountry.com Beth Rose beth@previewgreencountry.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Wollmershauser

4 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

In over 100 area Hotels and Motels

Best regards, G.T. Bynum, Mayor of Tulsa

For a night on the town, Tulsa serves up family entertainment at the Guthrie Green and Tulsa Drillers baseball at ONEOK Field. The Tulsa Performing Arts Center attracts Broadway musicals, renowned musicians and excellent local theater productions, and is home to the Tulsa Ballet.

FACEBOOK.COM/PREVIEW918

PREVIEW918.COM

A regional magazine of national stature, Preview 918 has remained the most trusted and widely read lifestyle publication in the Tulsa and Green Country area for more than 30 years. While other magazines have come and gone, Preview 918 has not only remained but has achieved unprecedented prestige within our community. It has been, and will continue to be, the magazine the 918 area lives by.

I’m pleased so many of you have made your home in Tulsa. If you’re visiting our city, please enjoy your stay here. I also want to invite you to come back often to experience opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. In the meantime, you can find out more about Tulsa by visiting cityoftulsa.‌org.

Tulsa’s unique entertainment and shopping districts provide enjoyable experiences for the entire family. From an art crawl in the Tulsa Arts District, to a concert at the historic Cain’s Ballroom, to a trip to the Tulsa Zoo or a leisurely drive along Route 66 — there’s no end to what you can experience here.

LIKE US!

PREV EW

VOL. 33, NO. 12

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Marc Rains, Sarah Eliza Roberts, Sarah Herrera, Jennifer Zehnder, Valerie Wei‑Haas, Kelli Greer

@PREVIEWTULSA FIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER Stephen Hurt stephen@previewgreencountry.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Ann Murphy ann@previewgreencountry.com ROUTE DISTRIBUTION Rachel Blanchard, Cory Blanchard, Garrett Rinner SENIOR CONSULTANT Randy Dietzel PUBLISHERS Robert and Amy Rinner robert@previewgreencountry.com

Preview 918 is published 12 times a year. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.

READ US!

WWW.ISSUU.COM/PREVIEWMAGAZINETULSA While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, all content is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change. The publisher can’t guarantee the accuracy of all information or be responsible for omissions or errors. Preview 918 claims no credit for any images published in this issue unless otherwise noted. Images are copyright to their respective owners. Health, small business, and financial advice provided in Preview 918 and preview918.com are for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always consult with a qualified professional for health, small business, and financial advice. Preview 918, 10026-A S. Mingo, Suite 322, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133 Copyright 2019 by Preview 918. All rights reserved. Preview 918 is an affiliated publication produced by Fore Today Publications LLC.

See our feature on page 30

84 T TABLE OF CONTENTS DECEMBER 2019

FEATURES

ON THE COVER

52 SURVIVAL GUIDE

22 WRITE ON TIME

Alan Maschhoff’s HYOH Adventures club presents an opportunity for people to experience the outdoors in a nonjudgmental environment, create beautiful memories, and find a new life path.

Over the course of five albums, a growing legion of fans have gravitated to William Clark Green’s songwriting and the band’s empathetic arrangements.

GOT BOOK 24 BABY

While Amazon can satisfy most bookworms or bibliophiles, there is something a little more magical about stumbling into a brick and mortar bookstore. Here are 25 to check out the next time you’re on the hunt for a new read.

30 SOIREE SAVVY

From casual to business or parties to showers, simplify your entertaining with full-service event planning and a delicious variety of food options you can depend on from the McNellie’s Catering Group.

FAT 56 THE TRAP

SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN

Under the direction of executive director Keith Elder, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra provides programming and initiatives designed to ensure that people of all ages can enjoy music and benefit from it in ways that make their lives better.

IT 38 GIVE YOUR WALL

Ziegler’s dedication to the Kendall Whittier District isn’t just apparent in its love for the neighborhood. Their devotion to customers shines through in a simple practice that’s kept them in business for half a century.

OF 42 WAR WORDS

34 EASTERN INFLUENCE

Dungeons & Dragons’ alluring world of magic and monsters has bled into novels, movies, and conventions, touching millions worldwide who have stepped into the boots of mighty heroes (and sneaky antiheroes) to create their own stories.

Based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera tale of a geisha left behind by her American lover, the Vietnam War-era story Miss Saigon is a larger-than-life theatrical experience complete with a full-scale helicopter.

LET IT 46 SHOW

With first-run movies in eight theaters complete with cushy heated seats and seat-side food and drink ordering, Cinergy proves why theaters are still a fantastic, fun experience not to be missed.

This time of year, the days are shorter, the air is colder, and somehow your clothes have become a bit more snug. Yep, it sounds like the holiday season and all the indulgence that comes with it.

58 ALLNOTISLOST

You reach into your purse or pocket, and it’s gone. You’ve lost your wallet, or worse, it’s been stolen. Now what?

60 SADDLE UP

Having worn many hats during his professional career, Jeff Medders gears up for rodeo’s Super Bowl as the TV voice of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

88 GOOD LIBATIONS

For Chris and Diane Riley, it’s not just about buying a bottle of wine or whiskey. Riley’s Wine & Spirits serves as an extension of the couple’s passionate desire to help and entertain the Tulsa community.

92 BOARD CERTIFIED

Armed with a palette of chalk and a prodigious talent for drawing, Ana Vela has carved out a niche decorating chalkboards for restaurants and bars.

Holiday gifting can be fraught with obstacles. Clothes don’t fit, your favorite home décor choices are not always to someone else’s taste, and sometimes gift cards lack a bit of pizzazz. But before you head for the socks-and-a-candle route, might we suggest a gift that’s guaranteed not to need tailoring and is always a crowd pleaser (even if it’s a crowd of two). We’ve found some of the best imbibing options to take the stress out of gift-giving season this year at Riley’s Wine & Spirits. Raise a glass to celebrate the season and spread the holiday cheer.

COVER CREDIT Photographer: Sarah Eliza Roberts Model: Tuesdae Riley Venue: Riley’s Wine & Spirits

DEPARTMENTS 16 Conversation Starter

62 Sports Central

74 Beyond Tulsa

84 Eats + Treats

22 Sound Check

69 Sports Schedule

76 Style + Shopping

92 Get to Know

13 Happenings

49 Downtown Locator

70 Restaurant + Bar Finder

80 Launch Pad

94 Shelf Life

15 Street Talk

50 Tulsa Locator

72 Green Country Scene

82 Health + Fitness

96 Showtime

8 $91.80 in 48 Challenge

10 Music + Concerts + Comedy

6 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

The only catch was that they had to spend it at places, events or shops profiled in the November 2019 issue of Preview 918.

918 $91.80 IN 48 CHALLENGE The mission posed to Katie and Dustin Barton was to spend $91.80 (we used the local area code for the amount) in two days. And if they could find fun and free activities … bonus.

SO, PROVIDING AN ENVELOPE OF CASH AND TELLING PEOPLE TO SPEND IT IN 48 HOURS ISN’T EXACTLY A CHALLENGE, BUT IT MAKES THIS ASSIGNMENT MORE INTERESTING.

STOP #3

We accepted the 918 Challenge, and to make it even more fun, we agreed to stick to things that were new to us. It was an excellent way to spend a day with no official plans, and we discovered a few new things we love about living in Tulsa.

STOP #1

Our first stop was Oktoberfest. We went on Friday afternoon when there was no admission fee, so we only had to pay for parking and snacks. We had a blast listening to the polka musicians and watching the dancers. Plus, the food was terrific. Dustin ordered a bratwurst, and I ordered a Reuben. We shared a beer and an apple strudel. COST: $39

We left the festival and headed to Miss McGillicutty’s in Jenks. Their ad touted “more than 10,000 square feet of wonder,” and I can’t resist browsing an antique mall. We found a lot of trinkets, old books, and vintage Pyrex. We left before we found anything we had to have, but we’ll be back.

STOP #2

COST: $0

COST: $40

STOP #4 u Think yo our can blow cash in g interestin ways?

With full stomachs and to-go boxes, we decided the best way to end our day was with a walk around The Boxyard. We stopped in a few of the shops and ended up smelling candles in American Hatfield. The create-your-own candle bar was very tempting, but we loved the pre-poured options and purchased a scent called Smoky Mountains. COST: $20

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND DROP A MESSAGE WITH SOME OF YOUR IDEAS. WE MIGHT JUST LACE YOUR POCKETS WITH GREEN AND TURN YOU LOOSE. 8 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

After an afternoon of walking, the carbs featured in the article on Green Country’s top Italian restaurants made our mouths water. For dinner, we headed to Mondo’s Ristorante Italian. The classy yet cozy atmosphere won us over the moment we stepped inside, but the food sealed the deal. The portions were huge, and the flavors were irresistible. This new-to-us spot is now firmly planted on our favorites list.

H HAPPENINGS DECEMBER LIVE MUSIC VENUES 5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE BAR | RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT

8330 Riverside Parkway | Tulsa

BLACKBIRD ON PEARL

1336 E. 6th St. | Tulsa

BOK CENTER

200 S. Denver Ave. | Tulsa

BRADY THEATER

105 W. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa

MUSIC+CONCERTS+COMEDY 01 SNAILS 04-07 JASON RUSSELL Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

The Loony Bin | Tulsa

CAIN’S BALLROOM

HAYES CARLL

423 N. Main St. | Tulsa 3534 S. Peoria Ave. | Tulsa

GUTHRIE GREEN

111 E. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa

IDL BALLROOM

230 E. 1st St. | Tulsa

INNER CIRCLE VODKA BAR 410 N. Main St. | Tulsa

JIMMY BUFFETT’S MARGARITAVILLE | RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT 8330 Riverside Pkwy. | Tulsa

MERCURY LOUNGE

1747 S. Boston Ave. | Tulsa

OKLAHOMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME 5 S. Boston Ave. | Tulsa

PARADISE COVE | RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT

8330 Riverside Pkwy. | Tulsa

PEORIA SHOWPLACE | BUFFALO RUN CASINO & RESORT

1000 Buffalo Run Blvd. | Miami

RABBIT HOLE

116 S. Elgin Ave. | Tulsa

REDS

325 E. 2nd St. | Tulsa

RIFFS | HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TULSA

777 W. Cherokee St. | Catoosa

SKYLINE EVENT CENTER | OSAGE CASINO HOTEL

951 W. 36th St. N. | Tulsa

SOUL CITY

1621 E. 11th St. | Tulsa

SOUNDPONY

409 N. Main St. | Tulsa

SWAMPHOUSE

1529 E. 3rd St. | Tulsa

07 Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

CROW CREEK TAVERN

TRAVIS TRITT

08 CRISS ANGEL

Skyline Event Center | Osage Casino Hotel | Tulsa

The Joint: Tulsa | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa | Catoosa

06 DEAN DEMERRITT’S JAZZ TRIBE

THE WOOD BROTHERS Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

IL DIVO: A HOLIDAY SONG CELEBRATION Brady Theater | Tulsa

11-14 MIKE SPEENBERG

The Loony Bin | Tulsa

THE PETERSENS BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS

Tulsa Performing Arts Center | Tulsa

Duet | Tulsa

THE COLONY

2809 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa

THE FUR SHOP

520 E. 3rd St. | Tulsa

THE HUNT CLUB

224 N. Main St. | Tulsa

THE JOINT | HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TULSA

777 W. Cherokee St. | Catoosa

THE VANGUARD

222 N. Main St. | Tulsa

TRACK 5 | HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TULSA

777 W. Cherokee St. | Catoosa

WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER

102 E. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa

10 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

CHASE RICE

Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

CODY JOHNSON BOK Center | Tulsa

12 MATISYAHU

Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

See our feature on page 34

Where Tulsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aviation heritage takes Flight!

PREVIEW918.COM 11

H HAPPENINGS DECEMBER

MUSIC+CONCERTS+COMEDY

13 18 20

WILLIAM CLARK GREEN

Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT Woody Guthrie Center | Tulsa

ANGELS & AIRWAVES AND PHANTOGRAM Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

REBECCA UNGERMAN Duet | Tulsa

18-21 GARY ALLAN

The Joint: Tulsa | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa | Catoosa

CRAYONS IMPROV COMEDY SHOW Heritage United Methodist Church | Broken Arrow

14 JOSH ABBOTT BAND Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

12 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

ISMO LEIKOLA Duet | Tulsa

CHARLEY CROCKETT

The Loony Bin | Tulsa

DIAMOND RIO

The Joint: Tulsa | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa | Catoosa

27 The Loony Bin | Tulsa

Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

MATT SADLER

26-28 WILL MARFORI

STEVE MILLER BAND

Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

LUANN DE LESSEPS

Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

KRISTIN CHENOWETH AND SANDI PATTY

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center | Broken Arrow

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA BOK Center | Tulsa

BRENDAN SCHAUB

The Joint: Tulsa | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa | Catoosa

HAPPENINGS ALSO IN DECEMBER H EVERYWHERE

CYBER MONDAY

JOHN FOGERTY

Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

7 DEC. 1-31 CASTLE CHRISTMAS PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE

DEC. 1 USA BMX GRAND NATIONAL PRO SERIES FINAL Expo Square | Tulsa

START OF WINTER

COLTER WALL

Three Rivers Museum | Muskogee

DEC. 1-31 PHILBROOK FESTIVAL

Philbrook Museum of Art | Tulsa

DEC. 1-JAN. 1 WINTER WONDERLAND CHRISTMAS LIGHT TOUR

Pine Lodge Resort | Ketchum

HANUKKAH

DEC. 1-22 WOOLAROC WONDERLAND OF LIGHTS

Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve | Bartlesville

DEC. 1-22 WEST BEND WINTERLAND

RON WHITE Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

Honor Heights Park | Muskogee

Chisolm Trail South Park | Broken Arrow

DEC. 1-7 POLAR EXPRESS PAJAMA PARTY The Joint: Tulsa | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa | Catoosa

DEC. 1-31 GARDEN OF LIGHTS

DEC. 1 RUTS N’ GUTS

JACKSON BROWNE

The Castle of Muskogee | Muskogee

DEC. 1-JAN. 1 RHEMA CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Rhema Bible Church | Broken Arrow

Claremore Expo Center | Claremore

CHRISTMAS

Cain’s Ballroom | Tulsa

DEC. 1-30 TWIN BRIDGES PARK OF LIGHTS

Twin Bridges State Park | Fairland

DEC. 1-30 FANTASY LAND OF LIGHTS Johnstone Park | Bartlesville

DEC. 1-JAN. 5 WINTERFEST

Downtown Tulsa

NEW YEAR’S EVE PREVIEW918.COM 13

H HAPPENINGS ALSO IN DECEMBER

DEC. 14 U.S.S. BATFISH LIVING HISTORY DAYS

War Memorial Park | Muskogee

DEC. 1-JAN. 5 GARDEN OF LIGHTS

Tulsa Botanic Garden | Tulsa

DEC. 5 FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE

DEC. 14 SAPULPA CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 6-8 THOMPSON HOUSE VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS

Downtown Sapulpa

Thompson House | Tahlequah

DEC. 14 COLLINSVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 28 PAW PATROL LIVE!: THE GREAT PIRATE ADVENTURE BOK Center | Tulsa

Downtown Collinsville

Downtown Okmulgee

DEC. 5 VINITA CHRISTMAS PARADE Downtown Vinita

DEC. 5 BROKEN ARROW WINE WALK

Rose District | Broken Arrow

DEC. 6 XTREME FIGHT NIGHT #364 Buffalo Run Casino & Resort | Miami

DEC. 6-8 TULSA DOG TRAINING CLUB AGILITY TRIAL

DEC. 7-8, 13-15, 21-22 TULSA BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER

Tulsa Performing Arts Center | Tulsa

Expo Square | Tulsa

Downtown Jay

DEC. 7 CHECOTAH CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 8 TULSA TOY RUN

Downtown Checotah

Expo Square | Tulsa

DEC. 7 PAWHUSKA CHRISTMAS PARADE OF LIGHTS

DEC. 9 SING! AN IRISH CHRISTMAS

Mabee Center | Tulsa

Claremore Expo Center | Claremore

DEC. 6-7 FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE POWWOW

Muskogee Civic Center | Muskogee

DEC. 14 2 HIP CHICKS ROADSHOW Expo Square | Tulsa

Tulsa Arts District | Tulsa

DEC. 6 CLAREMORE CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 14 GROVE CHRISTMAS PARADE DEC. 14 JAY CHRISTMAS PARADE

Downtown Webbers Falls

Downtown Pawhuska

Expo Square | Tulsa

Downtown Tulsa

Downtown Grove

DEC. 7 WEBBERS FALLS CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

DEC. 6 FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL

DEC. 28-31 TULSA HOLIDAY WINTER CIRCUIT

DEC. 14 TULSA CHRISTMAS PARADE

DEC. 18-JAN. 1 WINTER WONDERLAND Gathering Place | Tulsa

DEC. 7 RIVERSIDE COMIC EXPO Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art | Tulsa

DEC. 31 DANGERZONE BULL RIDING WORLD FINALS Claremore Expo Square | Claremore

DEC. 12-14 TULSA FARM SHOW

DEC. 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE GLOW PARTY

Expo Square | Tulsa

Downtown Sand Springs

DEC. 21 BOK CENTER BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN DOUBLEHEADER

Buffalo Run Casino & Resort | Miami

BOK Center | Tulsa

DEC. 12-15, 17-23 A CHRISTMAS CAROL DEC. 6-7 HOOSIER ARENACROSS NATIONALS Claremore Expo Square | Claremore

Tulsa Performing Arts Center | Tulsa

DEC. 7-8 MIDWEST ARMS COLLECTOR GUN SHOW Expo Square | Tulsa

DEC. 13-14 OSDTDA 2019 DANCE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Cox Business Center | Tulsa

DEC. 22 CIRQUE MUSICA: HOLIDAY WISHES

Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort | Tulsa

DEC. 31-JAN. 5 MISS SAIGON

Tulsa Performing Arts Center | Tulsa

Dates, events and times are subject to change.

14 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

STREET TALK ST

What’s your favorite way to spend a

snow day? Curled up under blankets on the couch reading a good book, and watching the snow fall.

— ELIZABETH

I wouldn’t know. I’m 3, and there hasn’t been an actual snow day in my lifetime.

— LUKE

Curled up with a blanket, a fire, hot chocolate, and watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.

— OLIVIA

Sitting on a warm laptop keyboard, getting petted, and meowing when humans look away from me for too long.

— POE THE BOOKSTORE CAT

Building a snowman with family, board games, making hot cocoa, and snuggling under the blankets.

— A NGELA

Sleep in as late as I want, then go out and enjoy the snow.

— DEVIN

A fireplace and a good book.

— KELLIE

— BELLA

Watch the snow fall, make some pancakes and bacon, watch movies, and enjoy some hot cocoa and popcorn.

— JOSEPH

I make homemade cookies.

— TIFFANY

Homemade chicken soup on the stove, bread baking, fire in the fireplace, and snuggled up with a good book and my favorite dogs and humans.

— SHELLY

The best way to spend a snow day is sitting beside a fireplace, drinking hot chocolate, and watching movies with loved ones.

— JORDAN

We’d bundle up, go sledding across the street, and make snow everything.

— MOLLY

Making a snow angel and sledding. I also like to take the fresh snow and pack it into a glass, then pour soda on top. After being outside, I enjoy coming in for a glass of cocoa by the fire and watching Hallmark movies and playing cards.

— NIKKIE

A perfect snow day would be hanging out with family while making a family of snowmen.

If I were in Colorado, I’d hit the slopes. But since I’m in Oklahoma, it’s nice to spend the day with the family watching TV or Netflix.

— NATHAN

If it’s the fat, heavy flakes, I love to get an umbrella and walk down a quiet street. The crunch of my boots in the snow and the soft sound of flakes on the umbrella are zen-like.

— AMY

WANT TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION? We’ll post a question on our Facebook each month. Give us an answer and photo, and you might end up in our magazine.

PREVIEW918.COM 15

CS CONVERSATION STARTER FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MAGIC AS CRISS ANGEL TURNS THE PROFESSION ON ITS HEAD. PREPARE FOR A MAGICAL MASHUP OF MIND-BLOWING ILLUSIONS AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ENERGY.

When you ask the general public about the greatest magicians of all time, names like Houdini and David Copperfield will often pop up, with an older generation often referencing Siegfried & Roy or perhaps Penn & Teller as well. Ask a younger generation, however, and you’ll hear one name come up in most conversations: Criss Angel.

criss angel BY G.K. HIZER

16 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

Television appearances have been a key to Angel’s success, but not merely with special events. Two separate television series: Criss Angel Mindfreak, and later, Criss Angel BeLIEve, were both popular with fans. They allowed him to expand his audience, becoming one of the most recognized and revered illusionists/ magicians of the current generation. While Angel has continued to build his legacy with both a touring show and residency in Las Vegas, he hasn’t held anything back. In December 2018, Angel opened Mindfreak production in the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, taking his show and presentation to new extremes. More telling, however, is that Angel earned the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, in recognition of his career accomplishments and extending the art of magic and illusions. Even with so much going on, Angel continues to tour nationally, bringing his RAW: The Mindfreak Unplugged production to the Skyline Event Center this month. Before arriving, he took the time to discuss his influences and creative process.

Q I was inspired by Richiardi, Houdini, and Doug Henning. I was thrilled to play Broadway recently, in the same theater Henning used to perform in.

I have a 60,000 square foot laboratory/studio. In that studio, I have full wood and metal fabrication shops, a staging area, a 60-foot green screen, a graphics department, and editors. I’m always developing new material. I have the infrastructure, and I love creating. Whether it’s a video, an illusion, or a theatrical performance, that’s what I’m into. When I can’t create or come up with something exciting or engaging, that’s when I’ll retire. I have four shows, and I have so much material because I’m always creating.

WHAT INITIALLY INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MAGIC AND FOLLOW IT AS A CAREER?

My Aunt Stella taught me my first card trick. I was hooked. My first audience was my Long Island family. My first “assistant” was my mother, who I levitated on a broom. I remember that after that, I felt this incredible sense of power that an adult didn’t understand how it worked, but I did. I practiced magic tricks obsessively from that point and did my first magic show at age 12 at a neighbor’s birthday party. I made $10 for it.

My show at Planet Hollywood is the first fully immersive spectacle that Vegas has ever seen. It’s a crazy show with crazy illusions. RAW is like I’m in your living room, and I’m doing the things you’ve seen me do on TV, but right in front of your face. I wanted to create a different show and experience than the one in Vegas. It takes some of my favorite illusions and demonstrations and strips them down to make them much more up close and personal. People always say that I can’t do it live it’s all effects on TV. Well, see it with your own eyes.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION OR IDEAS FOR DEVELOPING NEW TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS?

For me, it’s about connecting with people on an emotional level. I always want to create something unique, original, revolutionary, and some type of connection to the audience on an emotional level. That’s been an ongoing process to figure out how to do that since I was a kid.

I’m writing and creating an ensemble touring show, so I’ve been scouring the planet for the best of the best new talent. For now, I’ll keep those names to myself. Watch for a new production from me in 2020.

WHAT ELSE CAN FANS EXPECT IN THE FUTURE FROM CRISS ANGEL?

I’m working on two television series, a feature film that I’m writing/producing, and a documentary film, as well as the touring show. And I’m doing all that while continuing to refine my residency show, touring on my off weeks, and spending time with my sons and family. I like to keep busy.

CRISS ANGEL Skyline Event Center | Osage Casino Hotel 951 W. 36th St. N. | Tulsa 877-246-8777 osagecasino.com

It’s a process that starts with an idea. I have a crazy idea for an illusion or demonstration, and then I sit down with my team to see if we can figure out how to accomplish it. I have an incredible group of over 100 people who work for me, either directly or indirectly. I don’t have to farm things out, so it is all done in-house. Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it takes 20 years to figure it out — like the new levitation in my Vegas show at Planet Hollywood.

HOW DOES YOUR TOURING SHOW DIFFER FROM YOUR LARGER PRODUCTION?

ARE THERE MAGICIANS YOU’RE IMPRESSED WITH AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING?

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR LIVE SHOW AND PRODUCTION?

CONVERSATION STARTER CS

Dec. 8: 7 p.m. Must be 18 or older to attend

PREVIEW918.COM 17

ron white CS CONVERSATION STARTER

BY DONNA LEAHEY

18 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

CONVERSATION STARTER CS

White has always been a storyteller, relaying stories

White released his first comedy album, Drunk in Public, in 2003, and followed it with a one-hour TV comedy special, They Call Me Tater Salad. In 2004, Drunk in Public hit No. 1 on the Billboard comedy chart. White followed up his success with a second comedy special, You Can’t Fix Stupid, in 2006. The CD of the special earned White his first Grammy nomination.

If a successful career as a comedian were all there was to White, that would be plenty. He’s a hilarious man. But he’s also an entrepreneur, establishing Number Juan Tequila with his friend and fellow comedian Alex Reymundo. Rumor has it that recently, White’s signature scotch has been replaced with his own brand of high-quality tequila. The line includes a crystal-clear blanco tequila, a caramel-colored reposado tequila, and a rich, golden extra Anejo tequila. White is a dedicated supporter of our troops, donating not just money, but time to causes. His comedy benefit, Ron White’s Comedy Salute to the Troops, donates to the Armed Forces Foundation to aid injured troops and their families. Previous shows have been at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

RON WHITE Paradise Cove | River Spirit Casino Resort 8330 Riverside Parkway | Tulsa 888-748-3731 riverspirittulsa.com

In 2000, Jeff Foxworthy invited White to join the Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy. The show toured for an impressive three years, selling out shows in over 270 venues. Warner Bros. filmed the tour and Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie was released in 2003, later premiering on Comedy Central as the highest rated movie in the channel’s history.

White followed up on that success by trying his hand at acting. He’s appeared in Horrible Bosses and Sex and the City 2, as well as on TV in Cameron Crowe’s Showtime series Roadies.

White’s a man who seems like he would have been at home hanging with the Rat Pack but still fit in with the blue jeans and overall-wearing comics on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. White has four No. 1 Billboard comedy albums under his belt and two Grammy nominations. Between his solo albums and his albums with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, White has sold 14 million comedy albums. His charm, quick wit, and natural storytelling talent has made him consistently one of the topgrossing stand-up comedians touring in America and gained him a name as an actor with credits on the big and the small screens.

White is a famously private man, sharing only what he chooses. He has shared that he began dreaming of being a comedian from a young age while growing up in Fritch, Texas, but he took the long route there. White served in the Navy near the end of the Vietnam War and spent a few years living in Mexico before returning to the U.S. to start his career in comedy. His relatable, intelligent routines had him opening for Sam Kinison, among others.

White’s first book, I Had the Right to Remain Silent… But I Didn’t Have the Ability, was released in 2006, establishing White as a New York Times bestselling author.

Ron White is a comedy icon. His dapper suit, his signature tumbler of golden scotch in one hand, fat cigar in the other, that friendly grin, and those eyes twinkling with glee and a promise of a great story. A story, like that time he got arrested in Des Moines, Iowa. Or the time his wife didn’t want to pick up the poop left by White’s bulldog, Sluggo, and left little teepees of tissue all over the floor. Or when a New York City cop asked if he was Ron “Tater Salad” White.

from the time he was a boy growing up in a small town in the middle of Texas oil country to selling windows for a living in Arlington to performing in sold-out theaters and arenas as a headlining comedian all across the country. For two decades, he lived the life of a struggling comedian, bouncing around comedy clubs and driving to gigs in his beatup Nissan pickup truck, to becoming a successful middle act club comic.

RON WHITE, WHO FIRST ROSE TO FAME AS THE CIGARSMOKING, SCOTCHDRINKING FUNNYMAN FROM THE BLUE COLLAR COMEDY TOUR PHENOMENON, HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE SELLING WINDOWS IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS.

Dec. 31: 8 p.m. Must be 21 or older to attend

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modern mess

See our feature on page 88

Boxyard | Tulsa @mymodmess

20 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

TULSABOXYARD.COM

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PREVIEW918.COM 21

SC SOUND CHECK

Write on Time Blowing up on the Texas country scene can be a doubleedged sword. On the one hand, the audience grows by leaps and bounds, a loyal group that expects a high-energy, raucous party of a show. On the other, an artist’s songwriting can be overshadowed by the party-like atmosphere. Sure, a song or two will stand out, usually in part as jumping out with a big hook as an audience favorite. When you dig deeper into the catalog, however, you will occasionally find an amazing storyteller and some great compositions that deserve recognition well beyond a reputation as a glorified redneck party band. When you catch William Clark Green, who is quickly rising to the top tier of Texas country acts, the show is high-energy. When you listen to the records and dig into the songs, though, you’ll find that Green is an outstanding songwriter and storyteller.

22 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

“The last thing I want to be known as is a party band,” he says. “I think it’s all about what you put on the record, and I believe I’m respecting and representing the songwriter world. I don’t see myself as an entertainer, but I do enjoy being onstage. “When I’m playing with a full band, it’s all about enjoying ourselves and the music. My biggest fear has always been not being taken seriously. The amount of talent in this band allows us to cut loose and enjoy ourselves. It would be different if we weren’t playing well or screwing up the songs.” While Green’s fans are used to a celebratory and highenergy show, most of them recognize his songwriting skills as well. Songs like “Still Think about You” and the title track from Ringling Road are great examples of the pictures he so

Over the course of five albums, a growing legion of fans have gravitated to William Clark Green’s songwriting and the band’s empathetic arrangements BY G.K. HIZER

vividly paints with his words and music. Those images only get amped up in a live setting. Rolling Stone listed Ringling Road No. 25 in a “30 Great Country Albums You Never Heard Of ” feature. Following the release and touring cycle for his last studio album, Hebert Road, Green opted to record another live album, Live at Cheatham Street Warehouse, which was released in November. This time, however, it’s a more strippeddown affair, spotlighting the songwriting over the party and even sharing some insight into the songwriting process between songs. “In 2011 and 2012, most of the band moved to San Marcos [Texas] while I was still in West Texas,” says Green while explaining the local for the live album. “The guy who owned Cheatham Street was a

gentleman named Kent Finley, who became a dear friend of mine and was a special guy. He ended up having cancer two times. I met him when he was in remission and was friends with him as he was dying. He was interested in me and my music. He was a strong influence and mentor for me. “Cheatham Street is where the songs always meant the most. It just seemed like a natural fit when we did this album because I wanted to strip things down and focus on the songwriting. I had a guitar built in Kent’s honor for that show.” The warmth of Cheatham Street comes out in the recordings, both with Green sharing the stories behind the songs and with a setlist that digs into deeper cuts like the poignant “This Is Us,” “She

paradise never sounded So Good.

Live Music 7 Nights a Week in 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar Fridays & Saturdays in Margaritaville! Visit margaritavilletulsa.com for a complete schedule.

WILLIAM CLARK GREEN Cain’s Ballroom 423 N. Main St. | Tulsa

Green will be at Cain’s twice within a couple of weeks.

“Being from Texas, Gruene Hall and Billy Bob’s are always what you aspire to, but those have become the norm for us at this point. Gruene Hall [New Braunfels, Texas] is just a special place. Cain’s Ballroom has got to be one of my favorites. The owners and crew are always great to us, the stage is special, and the crowd is always amazing. I remember the first time we pulled 1,000 people there. We were amazed. We don’t draw crowds like that anywhere else in Oklahoma. Tulsa has something special going on.”

“I see it [Hangover Ball] as a pre-Steamboat Music Festival warm-up,” Green says. “The best part is when someone plays a new song for the first time and the crowd goes crazy. Then it’s like the next guy says, ‘Well, I’ve got a new song too…’ I think it becomes something special for the fans and us.”

While the Cheatham Street Warehouse has a spot in Green’s heart, it’s not the only venue he and his band like to play.

He’ll bring the full band for a headline show Dec. 20, before returning Jan. 1 as part of the Hangover Ball.

Loves Horses,” and fan favorites like “She Likes the Beatles.”

Chase Rice Dec 6 LuAnn de Lesseps Dec 20 Cirque Musica Dec 22 Steve Miller Band DEC 27 John Fogerty DEC 29 Ron White DEC 31 frank caliendo Jan 10 nelly jan 18 mike epps jan 24 chaka khan jan 30

Dec. 20: 8:30 p.m.

81st & RIVERSIDE

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888-748-3731

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RIVERSPIRITTULSA.COM

PREVIEW918.COM 23

Baby

got book BY MICHELE CHIAPPETTA AND ROB HARMON

Mysteries… thrillers… history… self-help… romance… There’s something incredibly special about opening up the first pages of what will soon become your new favorite book. The smell of the printed paper, the way its binding feels, the stylish cover art, and the crisp sound a book makes as you flip the pages — it’s a magical, sensory delight only found while you have an actual, honest-to-goodness book in your hands. In the past decade, we’ve watched brick-andmortar bookstores such as Waldenbooks and Borders fall by the wayside as e-books seemed poised to take over the industry. But these days, the independent bookstore is making a strong comeback. Some people like having a book in hand, but there’s more to it than that. Even though it has become the easiest thing in the world to buy and read a book, what gets lost with e-books is the sense of community a bookstore provides. Buying a book isn’t just about having choices as a consumer. It’s about supporting your local community. When purchasing a book from a mom-and-pop shop, you’re not only supporting a local business, you’re becoming more a part of that community’s identity. That’s something you can’t get with the click of a computer mouse.

Fortunately for bookworms, the Tulsa area has many amazing spots where you can find your new reading jam. Plus, these special retailers also provide a way to connect to the community in ways that your next Kindle purchase can’t satisfy. Here’s our list of Green Country’s favorite places to find a book to get lost in.

Decopolis 502 S. BOSTON AVE. | TULSA

One of Tulsa’s unique gift shops, Decopolis offers classic toys, books, ice cream, and all kinds of other curiosities and wonders. Close to the corner of Fifth Street and Boston Avenue, in the heart of the downtown Deco District, Decopolis is a bookstore you can lose yourself in for hours. Home to creations by local authors and artists, Route 66 and art deco souvenirs, it’s an excellent place to find either that unique stocking stuffer or a book on the history of Tulsa and the surrounding area. With two completely jam-packed floors of magic and fun to explore, this is one of Tulsa’s favorite attractions.

Boarding House Books 300 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. | CLAREMORE

Over 100 years ago, this building was the Ward Boarding House, welcoming tired travelers during the days of new inventions like the pop-up toaster, the short-wave radio, and arc welders. Now, it’s a bookstore for children, general readers, collectors, and perhaps even inventors. Thousands of books line the shelves in each of the former living spaces, as well as a bathtub full of books to peruse, in what used to be the boarding house’s upstairs community washroom. Find a history book within history itself in this one-of-a-kind Claremore treasure.

Gardner's Used Books and Comics 4421 S. MINGO ROAD | TULSA

Try to count the titles in this enormous used bookstore, and you’ll realize you’re going to be browsing for quite a while. We don’t know how many books it contains, but with almost 25,000 square feet, Gardner’s Used Books and Music is the largest of its kind in the state of Oklahoma. A heaven for bibliophiles, from weighty tomes to graphic novels, this shop’s massive selection is sure to have something for everyone. You’ll get lost in what will seem like the warehouse from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s almost that big, anyway.

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Magic City Books

Impulse Creations, Comics and Collectibles

221 E. ARCHER ST. | TULSA

8228 E. 61ST ST. | TULSA

An endeavor of the nonprofit Tulsa Literary Coalition, Magic City Books specializes in carefully curated books for adults, teens, and children. Enjoy delicious, freshly-brewed coffee or sip from a glass of wine while browsing in one of Tulsa’s newest bookstores. Also home to another TLC project, Booksmart Tulsa is an author event juggernaut, bringing in the likes of Stephen King, Salman Rushdie, Jodi Picoult, and scores of other literary giants for talks and signings. This bookstore is truly a oneof-a-kind experience for Tulsans and its visitors.

With new releases landing on the shelves every day, this store is a reliable source for the hottest comic books, graphic novels, and other forms of pop culture collectibles. Regulars rave about the excellent service and selection the store offers. Special events like Free Comic Book Day and local comic book writer signings make Impulse Creations a favorite among comic book enthusiasts. On any given day, cosplayers dressed as Superman, Batman, and Harley Quinn can be found choosing their favorite titles and showing off their latest costume skills.

Lavender's Bleu Literacy Market 8210 S. HARVARD AVE. | TULSA

If you can read this, it’s likely because, as a child, the adults in your life took the time to show you how. Dedicated to literacy, this independent children’s bookstore in the Harvard Parke Shopping Center is a real jewel. Parents and educators alike appreciate the environment of learning the shop promotes. Children love the nurturing atmosphere of magic and whimsy found in the story reading hours throughout the week. Book nooks with cozy little chairs for snuggling up with a good book and a wardrobe leading to the fantastical world of Narnia are just a couple of the surprises waiting at this cute little bookstore.

McHuston Booksellers and Irish Bistro 122 S. MAIN ST. | BROKEN ARROW

The beautiful Rose District in Broken Arrow has an equally attractive destination for book lovers. McHuston has a charming feel that makes it a pleasure to wander the shelves in search of something fun to read or add to your collection. Shelf after shelf of new, used, and rare print books are waiting for you to pick them up and take them home. Stop browsing for a moment and enjoy anything ordered from their bistro chalkboard menu. After satisfying your appetite for Irish fare, fulfill your desire to find a good book.

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Also Check Out Barnes & Noble 5231 E. 41ST ST. | TULSA 8620 E. 71ST ST. | TULSA

Books-A-Million 7404 S. OLYMPIA AVE. | TULSA

Catholic Book and Gift Store 3141 S. YALE AVE. | TULSA

Peace of Mind Bookstore

Frugal Bookworm

1401 E. 15TH ST. | TULSA

Cherry Street’s gem of a bookstore is genuinely a Tulsa treasure. Feast your eyes on one of the country’s largest collections of conscious living and metaphysical books at this unique shop. Books on dreams, UFOs, ancient civilizations, and so much more can be found on many shelves. They offer other items too. Choose from over 175 different herbs, stones, crystals, incenses, runes, tarot cards, or other wonderful gift items. From new to out-of-print volumes, Peace of Mind has what you’re looking for.

5932 S. LEWIS AVE. | TULSA

Mammoth Comics 4614 E. 11TH ST. | TULSA

Mardel Christian and Education 3132 E. 51ST ST. | TULSA 9725 E. 71ST ST. | TULSA

Phantasmagoria Books and Records

Rod's Books and Relics 10 E. 2ND ST. | SAND SPRINGS

4624 E. 11TH ST. | TULSA

Located on historic Route 66 (11th Street), this cozy bookstore is quietly becoming a Tulsa favorite. It boasts an excellent selection in all fiction and nonfiction genres and is the perfect spot for browsing before or after a visit to Flo’s Burger Diner or any other nearby Route 66 destination. For those interested in the craft of writing, the bookshop also hosts a weekly writers critique group called Nevermore Edits that bolsters the efforts of emerging local writers in the Tulsa area and promotes diversity in the literary arts.

Shadow Mountain Comics 6125 S. SHERIDAN ROAD | TULSA

The Book Burrow 701 KIHEKAH AVE. | PAWHUSKA

The Comic Empire 3122 S. MINGO ROAD | TULSA

Victory Bookstore

Whitty Books 2407 E. ADMIRAL BLVD. | TULSA

If you don’t know this bookstore by now, what pile of books have you been living under? At the same intersection as Circle Cinema and Fair Fellow Coffee Roasters, Whitty has become a KendallWhittier District staple for new and used books. Walk into this store, and you’ll be greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff willing to usher you to your next favorite book or two. Sit down on a comfy couch for a spell and thumb through your selections. One visit to Whitty will remind you why we can’t let the independent bookstore become a thing of the past.

7700 S. LEWIS AVE. | TULSA

Vintage Ruby's 8787 N. OWASSO EXPRESSWAY | OWASSO

Vintage Stock 5353 E. 41ST ST. | TULSA 7514 S. OLYMPIA AVE. | TULSA 6808 S. MEMORIAL DR. | TULSA 9045 N. 121ST E. AVE. | OWASSO

Wizards Asylum Comics and Games 7165 S. MINGO ROAD | TULSA

World of Comics 5623 E. 41ST ST. | TULSA

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TA TULSA ARTS DISTRICT

28 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

TA TULSA ARTS DISTRICT

Live Music

Check Website for Dates!

PREVIEW918.COM 29

Savvy

30 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

By Donna Leahey Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts

professionals like McNellie’s Group Catering, which has been making Green Country’s event planning easier for 10 years. “I delivered the first catering ever in my car 10 years ago from our flagship, the original McNellie’s Public House. It was for a holiday party,” says Tiffany Turner-Coats, director of catering and events and operating partner for the McNellie’s Group. “I brought artichoke dip, sliders, chips and salsa, and egg rolls. Planning an event can be stressful, exhausting, and enough to make you wish you were a hermit with no obligations to anyone. If it’s a small group, you might worry there won’t be enough going on to keep everyone interested and happy. If it’s a big event, you may wonder how you can get everything done. Maybe you can’t cook. Or perhaps you can, but you’re looking for close to perfection. Now and then, it’s good to spoil yourself. Hiring a caterer has a calming effect on the host.

Anyone who has ever thrown even a modest dinner party knows that it can take a full day or two to organize and set up. How refreshing for someone else to come up with a menu, haul out the linens, set the table, whip up the food, pour the wine, clear the dishes, and take out the trash. When it comes to weddings, engagements, baby showers, anniversaries, dinner parties, retirements, and corporate events, you can lean on

“Today, we can accommodate anything you want. With the force of more than a half dozen restaurants and their carefully crafted menus standing behind the McNellie’s Catering Group, you can be sure that whatever catering you need for your event, we can set you up.” Fresh and delicious sushi from Yokozuna? Yes. Sliders from McNellie’s? No problem. Pizza from Elgin Park and brats from Fassler Hall? Easy as can be. But what if you want a custom menu? That amazing culinary team

is ready to make your catering wishes come true. Food is one thing to cross off your list. “We can arrange a custom menu to accommodate your budget,” says Turner-Coats. “We’re budget-friendly. We work with a lot of nonprofits on a budget. We don’t want to leave anyone out. We try to make things work.” McNellie’s Catering Group puts a real emphasis on creating the perfect experience with their events. “Let’s say we’re part of your wedding, a bar mitzvah, or a 50th anniversary. They’re important events. They’ll be remembered for the rest of your life. It’s a very special experience, and I don’t take it lightly,” says Turner-Coats If you need a space for your event, look no further than the McNellie’s Group event space, The Bond. The main room has a spacious vintage look and is customizable.

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If you need McNellie’s catering to come to your home, office,

32 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

MCNELLIE’S GROUP CATERING

202 S. Elgin St. | Tulsa 918-442-2993 mcnelliesgroupcatering. com

Do you want a breakfast meeting? McNellie’s can bring freshly baked scones, a cereal bar, or a full hot breakfast,

If you’re looking for a full meal, McNellie’s can set up a taco bar, a fajita bar, and more, or set up plated meals of salmon, pork tenderloin, and filet. They can deliver dessert trays, beverages, and beautiful and impressive sushi trays. The choices are endless.

“The annex can hold 50 people,” says Turner-Coats. “It has a whitewashed floor, exposed brick, and a patio.”

McNellie’s can pull from all its restaurants, and that creative, skilled kitchen staff, not to mention the on-site bakery putting out fresh breads, pastries, buns, and more.

including scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, and mini muffins with a choice of breakfast meats. Just want some snacks for your guests to graze? How about some colorful and fresh caprese kabobs or a charcuterie tray so beautiful it’s practically art. Want to provide a quick and easy lunch? Serve up an adorable sandwich box lunch with choice of bread, meat, and cheese served with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, mustard packet, mayo packet, chips, and assorted cookies. Or a fresh and light lunch of soups and salads like rich and creamy tomato bisque or the unique shaved Brussels sprouts Caesar.

With round tables and chairs, the main space can hold about 300 people. Or if you picture more of a cocktail party setup, you can invite over 400 of your closest friends. If you need room for another 50 people, or if you want a smaller room, try The Bond’s side space.

business, or whatever location you choose, they love to bring the event to you. “We can bring steam tables, chafing dishes, food service equipment, bartenders, servers, bussers, and dishwashers,” she says. “We can serve up a full-plate meal, do a custom pasta bar. We’ve done brats and wings at a golf course, and Mexican-themed lunches. We’re a one-stop-shop. There’s no limitation when we go off-site on the size of the group.”

“It was originally The Bond Bakery. We wanted to keep the history intact with the tin-stamped ceiling, brick wall, big sunny windows, and hardwood floor,” she says. “It’s an industrial space, but warm. The perfect combination.”

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BASED ON GIACOMO PUCCINI’S OPERA TALE OF A GEISHA LEFT BEHIND BY HER AMERICAN LOVER, THE VIETNAM WAR‑ERA BY GINA CONROY STORY MISS SAIGON IS A LARGER-THAN-LIFE THEATRICAL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MURPHY EXPERIENCE COMPLETE WITH A FULL-SCALE HELICOPTER. The Vietnam War: A war some people don’t know much about, and others don’t want to remember. A war some say we fought too long and others say not long enough. A war that divided one nation, then divided another. Forty years later, it’s a war we can’t forget. No matter how you feel about the war in Vietnam, there’s no denying it stirs up powerful emotions. So does Miss Saigon, an epic love story about a young Vietnamese woman (Kim) orphaned by the war, who falls in love with an America G.I. (Chris) days before Saigon falls. They’re torn apart when the troops are forced to leave as the enemy approaches. Alone and fighting to protect her son, Kim defies the odds to keep not only her son alive but the

34 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

hope that one day she will be reunited with his father. Anthony Festa, who plays Chris, visited Vietnam three months ago to research the role to bring more authenticity to his performance. The result was more than he imagined.

it to the part he’s played for about a year. “It’s enriched the role in a lot of different areas,” says Festa. “It was so eye-opening to see the things we left behind as America.” G.I.s didn’t just leave behind their women and children; they left a community.

“I wanted to see where the evacuation of the last helicopter took place,” says Festa, who spent time at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, reading every story. “I got to see a different perspective of the war than I was taught in high school. I got to see it from their [the Vietnamese] point of view, and how devastating it was for their country.”

“We were in Vietnam for almost 20 years. While our servicemen were there, they built lives,” says Festa. “They had a guy who fitted their suits, and a barber who cut their hair. They were all local men. They were people Americans knew and trusted and grew bonds with, and then we just uprooted and left. It devastated some of the soldiers on an emotional front.”

Armed with new understanding, Festa took what he learned in Vietnam, and translated

For the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), which fought

alongside the Americans, it devastated them as well. U.S. evacuation meant their imminent death. When Festa crawled through the Cu Chi tunnel, where the Vietnamese used to survive, it hit him in a whole new way. “There’s this devastating picture, if you Google it, where they take off their boots and their American gear and leave everything in the middle of the road,” says Festa. “It blows your mind because if they were caught

wearing that [uniform], they would be shot in the head.”

Festa uses the loss of his father, who died four years ago, to tap into what it feels like to lose somebody.

As a soldier, Chris deals with the fallout of the war in a way that reflects what many veterans “Loss compellingly affects our souls. I try to go through. translate that to 2,000 people every night,” says Festa. “There is a beautiful moment in “Whether it was Afghanistan or any of the show where you can’t even hear a pin the wars, it’s post-traumatic stress from drop, and I can almost feel everybody looking the things that they dealt with over there,” at me at the same time. It’s like everybody’s says Festa. heartbeat lines up together, and I know that they are with me in the audience.” Veterans are not the only ones who can relate to the story. Though the war ended Although the revival of Miss Saigon stays true 40 years ago, Miss Saigon is relevant to to history, many little differences bring the today’s headlines. show to life in a new way. The cast met with the creative team for input on the show, their “You turn on the news, and you’ll see all characters, and songs, then honed it to make that’s happening with immigration,” says it their own. Though the subject matter may Festa. “Then people see the show, and be darker than some musicals and the scenes they’re thinking to themselves, ‘What has truer to life than many may be comfortable changed?’” with, the messages of love, loss, desperation, and sacrifice will touch people right where Likewise, Kim’s story of survival couldn’t they are. be more relevant. Miss Saigon parallels the strength of today’s women in so There’s a song Festa sings every night called many ways. “Why, God Why?” It’s just him and the audience; no one else is onstage. “It’s a beautiful thing for women to have strength right now, but also own “When I first started the tour, it became it,” says Festa. “Kim does both in a this beautiful ballad that I loved to sing,” beautiful way. Not only does she bring a says Festa. “Now, when I take the song on, child into a devastated war-torn world the beginning is a monologue, and it’s a alone, but she fiercely protects him and conversation with me, a U.S. soldier who ensures his survival through the most is representing all of America for those unbelievable circumstances. watching me.” “The love she pours into that is breathtaking to watch.” Festa says the role of Chris “is amazingly taxing” on his emotions. Not only is it an emotional roller coaster, but it’s a physical challenge as well. As an American G.I., he’s supposed to be at the peak of physical fitness. To keep his body, mind, and emotions in shape, he eats healthy, stays physically fit, and warms up before he goes onstage.

Festa performs that song with a lot of weight because he wants to let the audience know he’s representing America. “I want to show them how much pain both sides of this story felt and dealt with,” he says. “If it does anything for people when they leave the theater, I hope it just opens their eyes to what happened.”

“I always check in with [myself] on every show,” says Festa. “I breathe into my body. That prepares myself for what I’m about to do.”

MISS SAIGON

“I release all my emotions on that stage,” says Festa. “Once I’ve tapped into them, and I’ve let them go, it’s almost like a cathartic experience for me.”

Dec. 31: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 1-2: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3: 8 p.m. Jan. 4: 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Jan. 5: 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Keeping his physical body in tune with his emotional and mental state is critical for Festa to take on such an emotional role night after night, but there are benefits.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center 110 E. 2nd St. | Tulsa

TO R

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Keith Elder

Soun s like aP lan

BY MICHELE CHIAPPETTA PHOTOS BY SARAH ELIZA ROBERTS 36 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

Music is magical. It soothes the savage beast and feeds the soul. Studies have shown that music can reduce anxiety and lessen pain. It improves our cognitive abilities and helps people to exercise longer.

Music also broadens our experience of the world and adds value to the entire community — something that Keith C. Elder, the executive director of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, is passionate about. Elder stepped into the role August 2019, after having worked at prestigious organizations such as the Aspen Music Festival & School, the Eastman School of Music, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops. “Music is incredibly important to me,” says Elder, who among his other talents is a longtime tuba

player who has performed with the likes of Wynton Marsalis. “There isn’t one person on this planet that music hasn’t touched. I’m sure there’s a song in your head that can remind you of something. You go to a concert and have that energy about you.”

What this means, in practice, is that the TSO provides a host of programming and initiatives designed to ensure that people of all ages can enjoy music throughout their lives and benefit from it in ways that make their lives better.

Music in any form, he says, isn’t just about having fun. “It’s about what the art can do for the human soul.”

One example is the TSO’s commitment to being involved in schools, which has been a boon in these days when budgets for music and other educational arts programs are being cut. And it’s also a way to counteract what has popularly been referred to as the graying of the audience, a phenomenon that has been going on for generations but has grown worse in recent decades as younger audiences are less frequently exposed to classical and symphony style music.

This commitment to doing more for the soul — and the community — sets the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra apart and makes it uniquely poised to make a difference. “The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra is unique because we don’t look at ourselves as an art organization; we look at ourselves as a community organization,” Elder explains. “[The goal is] to provide value back and engage with this community.”

“When music education started taking a hit in the 1980s, we began losing relevance. These

In addition to providing great music and a great community program, the Tulsa Symphony

Of course, the TSO also does precisely what you’d expect, putting on great performances in a variety of musical styles. There’s something for everyone — such as a January 2020 concert of Strauss and Shumann, featuring acclaimed Oklahoma soprano Sarah Coburn. In March 2020, they’ll be performing the original Star Wars: A New Hope in concert. Attendees will be able to watch the movie with a live orchestra playing the soundtrack. And in May 2020, American folk singer-

Take full advantage of everything the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra offers, from child care during concerts, pre-concert lectures, highlight recitals featuring local students, and after-parties where concert-goers are welcome to meet the musicians and soloists. “We want to be the community’s orchestra, providing community service,” says Elder. “Most communities this size don’t have this much going on. It makes Tulsa special.”

TULSA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

117 N. Boston Ave. | Tulsa 918-584-3645 tulsasymphony.org

“For seniors, a lot of research has been done on how music is great for cognitive functions,” says Elder. “We’re working with many senior communities around the area. Interest has exploded, which is great.”

“Everyone has a voice,” says Elder. “It makes the organization stronger, more transparent. It takes best practices from other industries and applies them to the orchestra. With a model like this, you can serve the community better.”

songwriter Arlo Guthrie will perform with the orchestra. “We’re not just for people in tuxedos,” says Elder.

“This program is in over 100 communities around the world,” says Elder, “but Tulsa is the second-fastest-growing program in the world. Teachers are saying the excitement expressed is amazing, especially for children this age. Some of them, it’s the first time they’ve been to the Performing Arts Center or heard an orchestra.” Link Up served 20,000 elementary children in 2018-19 and is expected to reach 23,000 students in 2019-20. And it’s so successful that the TSO recently launched a new pilot

But the TSO doesn’t reach out only to young people. They also work with seniors through programs like Creative Aging — which partners with The Indian Nations Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging to provide Link Up instruction and live concert experience for older adults in senior living, assisted living, and nursing home facilities. The Heart Strings program offers music by TSO musicians at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Hospital in Muskogee, Life Senior Services Assisted Living Campuses, Saint Simeon’s Senior Community, and Iron Gate Food Bank.

Orchestra is innovative in yet another way that is garnering attention from orchestras across the country — its unique form of governance and organization. Unlike most orchestras, the TSO is run by consensus, which involves everyone equally, including the musicians.

Among the ways the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra reaches into the educational arena is with its Link Up program for elementary students. “Carnegie Hall provides the curriculum. We work with teachers in the area to teach it,” says Elder. The program lasts throughout the school year and ends in a concert extravaganza with music, dancing, and more, in collaboration with the symphony orchestra.

program for sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders, featuring the music of John Williams movies.

programs provide relevance,” he says.

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GIVE IT YOUR WALL Ziegler’s dedication to the Kendall Whittier District isn’t just apparent in its love for the neighborhood. Their devotion to customers shines through in a simple practice that’s kept them in business for half a century. By Gina Conroy Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts

38 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

Not far from downtown’s growing art district at the corner of Kendall Whittier Square sits a historic red brick building overflowing with treasures waiting to be discovered. One of Tulsa’s best-kept secrets, Ziegler Art and Frame, a unique, family-run store, has been serving the Tulsa community for almost 50 years. And they plan on being around for at least 50 more. “There’s nothing like us,” says Trent Morrow, grandson to Dan Ziegler, the master craftsman who built the place by piecing together buildings as they acquired new property. “A lot of our regulars come here not knowing what they want, but they always leave with some new treasure.”

Tourists who stay downtown enjoy Ziegler’s unique charm and the area named one of the seven certified art districts in Oklahoma. With Circle Cinema, bookshop, restaurants, coffee shop, STEMcell Science Shop, and breweries close by, you can easily spend a day of entertainment in Kendall Whittier District. “I’m a big advocate for the neighborhood,” says Trent, president of Kendall Whittier Main Street a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the area. “When [Whittier Main Street] started in 2010, we had a 35% occupancy rate on the square, but at this moment, we’re just about at 100%.”

The nonprofit has done a lot for the economic development of the area after decades of decline. When Ziegler first opened its doors in 1973, they didn’t know the district was starting a downhill spiral after thriving for decades as Tulsa’s first suburban shopping district. The construction of the eight-lane highway built in 1967 would soon change the neighborhood, but not Ziegler. They started as a wholesale business in a little space selling to companies like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. “We did manufacturing, canvasing, and little frames,” says Trent. “My dad focused on retail and business, and my grandfather kept his eye on properties.” As Dan bought up buildings and expanded, his son-in-law, Trent’s father, filled the rooms with merchandise. Over the years, the wholesale side started dwindling as retail flourished. After the decline of the area in the 1980s, Ziegler stood strong and kept its doors open to serve its

customers. Back then, this district could have been called the “red light” district of Tulsa. “The Circle Cinema [built in 1928] was an X-rated theater at the time,” says Trent. The area was teeming with seedy bars and strip joints. In 2003, after being threatened with demolition, the theater was named to the National Register of Historic Places. According to Morrow, the neighborhood started to change when they revamped Circle Cinema in the early 2000s. “We stuck it out for a long time, and in the last five years, we’ve had a real transformation,” says Trent. “It’s been a mission of ours to help change the neighborhood.” When the building across the street that housed the adult bookstore was for sale, Ziegler didn’t hesitate to buy it. “We wanted to make sure that type of business wouldn’t come back in,” says Trent. Now they lease the building to Fair Fellow Coffee Roasters. Ziegler’s dedication to the community isn’t just apparent in its love for the neighborhood; the devotion to customers shines through in a simple practice that’s kept them in business for half a century.

“We take care of our customers,” says Morrow. When you walk through the doors, you immediately sense the difference. Maybe it’s the wideopen spaces filled with unique merchandise and art, instead of small aisles crammed with duplicate factory-made products. Perhaps it’s the fact an employee can be readily found to assist you, or maybe it’s because Charlie, Trent’s dog, greets each customer with a wagging tail. “She’s our mascot and excellent at her job,” says Trent. “She always puts everyone in a good mood.” Part of the fun is seeing people wander around enjoying the store. “This place makes a lot of people happy,” he says. “Sometimes they’ll buy something, and sometimes they won’t.” A lot of regulars stop by with no agenda or purchase in mind. And that’s just fine. Trent’s only caution is whenever you take a trip to Ziegler, you better give yourself plenty of time to “soak it all in.” One of the reasons people keep coming back is Ziegler has products you can’t find anyplace else. That’s why people from south Tulsa and Bixby travel to Ziegler.

“We’ve had people bring U-Haul’s as far as Florida and Wyoming to buy our ready-made gallery frames because they’re difficult to find,” says Trent. “Every frame with the ‘Z’ logo is made in-house,” says Trent. “If there’s three on the shelf and you need six, we can have them ready for you next week.” You’ll find unique seasonal and gift items as well as custom frame samples that are displayed in a beautiful array of colors and styles on the wall. Their custom framing and matting, the focus of Ziegler’s business, is a cut above the rest. While it’s quite a challenge to keep all the frame molding in stock, they do it because it’s the cornerstone of their business. “Another reason people come to us over other frame shops is most of the floor samples are stocked on the premises,” says Trent. “That’s pretty unheard of in most frame shops.”

If an artist comes in on a Tuesday, has a show on First Friday, and needs their art framed, Ziegler can get it done, unlike other stores that might have to order the frames, which can take weeks. “We don’t charge rush services for that type of thing, and that’s pretty unique for frame shops,” says Trent. Just beyond the custom-frame samples is the staircase Dan built, which leads to the formal dining hall of a ballroom built in the 1930s. The original signs from the dance hall still hang on the wall. The dance floor is where they custom cut and make the frames, but original pews still line the wall of the hall where dancers rested. As you walk through an aisle of custom-frame molding and around the corner, you’ll see the original ticket window of the dance hall. “There’s cool history up here,” says Trent.

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Scattered throughout the showroom gallery is a selection of decor and unique furnishing that aren’t mass reproduced.

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“You have to have all the right tools to do the job right,” says Trent. Ziegler does almost everything in-house, which means customers get their orders faster than stores that outsource. They can even preserve, restore, refurbish, and colorize your old and damaged photographs as well as digitally reproduce your original artwork. Walking toward the art supplies, you may not notice the door that leads to a small courtyard. Even

One of Trent’s proudest accomplishments is acquiring two murals on the outside of the building: one is by Scribe, an internationally known artist, and the other by John Hammer, from Claremore. Since being certified an Oklahoma art district a couple of years ago, Kendall Whittier has not only been attracting more tourists and customers; it’s also been attracting more artists.

Although the area is thriving, there’s still room for growth. “We would love to see more restaurants and other businesses,” says Trent. Until then, Ziegler isn’t going anywhere.

ZIEGLER ART & FRAME 6 N. Lewis Ave. | Tulsa 918-584-2217 zieglerart.com

If you can’t find a print in the size you want, Ziegler has a vast database of images. They can print what you want on canvas or photo paper and have it framed to order. They can even add calligraphy to mattes, and rolled up prints can be vacuum mounted.

Carrying major brands in oil, acrylics, watercolor, and gouache paints as well as inks, markers, pens, other wet media, and dry media like graphite, pastel, charcoal, as well as a variety of stretched canvas, panels, pads and sheet goods, Ziegler is a playground for the artist’s soul. They have easels and tables designed with the artists in mind.

“Tulsa-themed art and decor have become popular in the last several years with everyone’s pride and enthusiasm for the city,” says Trent. “With all the new buildings being constructed downtown and new offices, they want artwork, and they like having images of the city.” Residents and tourists like the Tulsa spirit themes, as well. The growing art scene downtown along with First Fridays has piqued resident’s interest in art in general.

“Home decor doesn’t describe what Ziegler offers its customers,” Trent says as he points to a leather cowhide barstool.

The charm and location of the Kendall Whittier District also attracts established artists. Directly across the street from Ziegler is Marjorie Atwood’s studio. Shared spaces like Studio 75 and the Loose Leaf artist studio that attracts photographers and architects, and Fire Thief Productions, a private company that produces films, are also popping up in the area.

If you’d like to take some history home, you’ll find it in the gallery downstairs. Ziegler has the most extensive collection of Tulsa art, photography, and memorabilia under one roof. From the nostalgic feeling of the oil boom and Route 66 to popular depictions of this growing city, there’s something to fit every style, budget, home, and office.

Ziegler’s support of artists in Tulsa goes beyond showcasing their art for sale. They love having artists in the building, whether creating in the open studio space or teaching others the art of watercolor, oil painting, drawing, and more. Whatever medium the artist teaches, the space is free of charge, and everything they need is just a room over.

“While the art scene downtown is thriving, the studio spaces can be pricy,” says Trent. “[The Kendall Whittier District] is more of the working-class arts district. We like having that identity down here.”

that has a story. “This used to be an alleyway,” says Trent. “We had to get the city’s permission to shut down the road because my grandfather kept building the store out.”

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By Donna Leahey Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts

Right now, a group of friends is gathering around a table covered with books, maps, tiny figures, and colorful dice. At least, that’s what you see. They see castles, steeds, noble warriors, crafty wizards, and charming entertainers. From that hand-drawn map emerge giants, balrogs, and even enormous, terrifying dragons. Will our heroes prevail against these deadly enemies? It’s time to roll initiative and find out. Welcome to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is enjoying a surge of popularity thanks to Netflix’s Stranger Things, podcasts like Critical Role and The Adventure Zone, and the release of Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition books. Celebrities — including hunks and tough-guys like Joe Manganiello, Terry Crews, and Vin Diesel, as well as late-night host Stephen Colbert,

Daredevil’s Deborah Ann Woll, musician Moby, and actor Drew Barrymore — aren’t shy letting others know they enjoy D&D as well. “D&D has been around for 45 years, and it is more popular now than it has ever been,” says Greg Tito, senior communications manager at Wizards of the Coast in an interview with CNBC. “In each of the last five years, sales of Dungeons and Dragons merchandise has grown by double digits.” Wizards of the Coast, owned by toymaker Hasbro, attributes this massive sales boom to the launch of the fifth edition of the game in 2014 and to Critical Role, a weekly show on livestreaming video platform Twitch that features voice actors from TV shows and video games playing Dungeons and Dragons with Matthew Mercer (Overwatch) serving as the dungeon master. D&D was created by war-gamer and game developer Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. Gygax incorporated rules and concepts from some of his strategy games and added in fantasy elements from some of his favorite stories. It took Tactical Studies Rules (later known as TSR) 11 months to sell the first 1,000 copies. The next run sold out in six months. After that, TSR started measuring sales by the thousands per month. It spread through hobby shops and by word-of-mouth — not just among the old-guard, who had come up in the historical wargaming scene, but among scifi and fantasy fans too. Overcoming conservative criticism in its early days and giving rise to role-playing juggernauts like World of Warcraft, D&D hasn’t just survived. Its alluring world of magic and monsters has bled into novels, movies, conventions, and collectors’ items, touching millions worldwide who have stepped into the boots of mighty heroes (and sneaky antiheroes) to create their own stories. What exactly is D&D, though? Writer and game developer Kaz Kirkpatrick, who hosts a live D&D stream on Twitch, picked up his first D&D book at age 8 and has been playing for 28 years. He explains D&D as basically improv. “At the core of every D&D game is the collaborative creation of a shared story woven together by your adventuring party and your dungeon master,” he says. “The basis of most games, whether they are commercial quests sold by a store or a custom quest written by a dungeon master [DM], is that a group of characters set out on a quest of some sort. The dungeon master, in all cases, sets the stage, portrays every non-player character you meet, every monster you do battle with, and narrates the major events that affect your characters.” The DM guides the players through the story. Together, they create endless worlds and quests with the only limit being the groups’ imagination and their die rolls. It’s a creative effort that’s part spontaneous, collaborative novel writing; part improv theater; part research project; and part anthropological study, all wrapped up into game night with your friends.

In the beginning, D&D offered a social outlet for the awkward set before it was cool to be a nerd. It was a misfit pastime that existed outside the mainstream. For many players, it made them interested in reading and learning. Part of the game’s awesomeness is the artwork and fearsome dragons planted in mysterious, pseudo-medieval lands. This didn’t go over well with some parents, who feared the fantasy game had sinister undertones. At one point, opponents claimed D&D drove players to suicide, an accusation that was swiftly debunked. Today, however, the battle ax has swung the opposite way: D&D is considered wholesome and therapeutic. Some therapists use D&D to teach autistic children social skills. And when a UCLA researcher adapted the game for a third-grade class, the students improved in areas including math, reading comprehension, and conflict management.

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Michael Burris is also a player and a DM. To him, D&D is like sitting around a campfire telling stories with your friends, except that the story changes as each person adds more to it. It’s collective storytelling at its best. Local artist Malea Thomas considers her regular D&D game to be one of the more essential parts of her life. “It’s a fantastic creative outlet, and getting to spend that time with friends is amazing too,” she says. “It’s become part of my life so much that even my family knows not to schedule anything on my game night.” So how does one play D&D? First, acquire a starter set that will have everything you need to start playing. (There’s even one featuring the Stranger Things Demogorgon.) You’ll also need dice. Dice for D&D range from a pyramidal foursided die up to a nearly spherical 20-sided die. You use these dice, along with your character’s skills and abilities, to determine if you convince a noble to hire you and to see who goes first when you find yourself in a battle with a brigand. You also roll to see if you notice that the brigand has several friends, whether you hit with your bow or your sword, and whether you manage to avoid a ball of magical fire flung by the brigands’ wizardly friend. One member of the group will be the DM, who will guide you through the game. The DM describes the scene. Perhaps your party is in a tavern, and you see a street kid steal a purse. What do you do? Your party is traveling through the woods, it’s late, and you’re ready to camp when you are approached by a bandit who demands you hand over your money. What do you do? Through the scenes, you develop your characters, build relationships, solve puzzles, and perhaps along the way, you save the world from an evil dragon. If you’re ready to jump into the world of D&D, you can create your party with your friends, or look for a group around Tulsa. Wizard’s Asylum in Tulsa has regular gaming sessions, and Kiss My Ale on Admiral Place is designed for gaming. If you give them a call, they will be delighted to help you find a group. “Dungeons & Dragons is imagination made real,” says Burris. “These are moments that you create with your fellow players that become as real as any birthday or holiday because these moments are shared with your friends.” And more people are playing, partly because it has never been easier. D&D used to be a nitpicky, number-crunchy affair. Then, in 2014, Wizards of the Coast (which bought the company from near-bankrupt TSR in 1997) released a new edition that is more streamlined, more spontaneous and less rule-driven.

badge of dishonor, while the internet has given fans a giant trove of homebrew content and entertainment. According to The Washington Post, technology has been a game changer. In 2019, people play D&D by video conference, via Skype and Discord. They use dice-rolling apps, fill out online character sheets, and draw maps on laptops and iPads instead of on graph paper. They livestream on Twitch. When they can’t make it to a physical tabletop, they log on to “virtual tabletops” such as Fantasy Grounds and Roll20 to crawl through dungeons with players half a world away. Here, Dungeon Masters hire themselves out like itinerant knights — they’ll lead your campaign for $10 to $20 a head.

The company also made it more inclusive. Gone is the rule mandating female characters’ strength to be less than males. Gone is the sexist artwork — no more armored bikinis, no more monsters with breasts, no more topless ladies. Characters come in a rainbow of skin colors and body types.

“We are constantly meeting people at events and conventions and live shows who tell us, ‘I never played, I never thought that it was something that I could get into and enjoy and now I play in three campaigns,’” Mercer told CNBC. “It’s been unexpectedly wild to see people engage with the game. I never expected to find such a widespread and growing audience.”

The mainstream popularity of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones has made being a fantasy nerd no longer a

All in all, there’s never been a better time to be a Dungeons & Dragons player.

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WITH FIRST-RUN MOVIES IN EIGHT THEATERS COMPLETE WITH CUSHY HEATED SEATS AND SEAT-SIDE FOOD AND DRINK ORDERING, CINERGY PROVES WHY THEATERS ARE STILL A FANTASTIC, FUN EXPERIENCE NOT TO BE MISSED. By Michele Chiappetta Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts

46 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

comfortable. Sure, these seats recline, but moviegoers have come to expect that. What’s extra unusual and surprisingly appealing is the fact that these cushy seats are heated. Imagine coming inside on a snowy or icy day and warming up with a seat that heats up to your liking. Tempting, right?

Cinergy offers special theater packages for groups of five or more, offering appealing savings on films. Look for special offers such as Girls Night Out packages and more. The theaters range in size from as few as 35 to as many as 159

Beyond the savings and the fun, the top-notch service Cinergy offers will keep you coming back for more. “Our service is what sets us apart, as far as being attentive to the needs of the guests and making it an awesome experience,” says Latus.

CINERGY

6808 S. Memorial Dr., Ste. 300 | Tulsa 918-894-6888 cinergy.com/locations/tulsa

Also, Cinergy offers a rewards program for those who are regular visitors to their entertainment venue. Set up a loyalty account, and you’ll enter the Cinergy Elite program. This rewards program for frequent visitors provides all sorts of cool add-ons and benefits that film lovers appreciate, including access to movies before they officially premiere, free popcorn, and more.

seats. So, anything from a small birthday party to a corporate getaway are possibilities.

needs, such as lowered volume, increased light levels, and room for guests to move rather than sitting still.

Even better, you can slide in right as the movie starts, grab your seat, and press the button on your chair. This seat-side ordering service allows you to Cinergy’s entertainment venue buy a sizable portion of popcorn in Tulsa’s active 71st Street and and a drink and have it delivered Memorial Drive area is one of the to you as you relax — what most popular destinations for fun- a perfect way to enjoy films loving Tulsans of all ages, and it’s without waiting in a long, boring easy to see why. There’s so much concession line. to do, all under one roof. “We’re an all-in-one-house entertainment But why stop with popcorn and center for all ages,” says Aaron soda? After all, Cinergy has a Latus, general manager. full menu of premium, chefdriven options to select from This convenience is one as you place your order. Enjoy reason why Cinergy is so a satisfying meal, from a juicy popular. For a casual date burger and fries to tacos and night or time with your corn dogs. Eating light? Request friends, you can catch a a fresh fajita salad. Feeling movie and then hang out in cheesy? Order a pizza laden the bar area, sipping drinks with the works. Wings, pretzel and watching sports on the bites, quesadillas, chicken big screen TVs. There are nuggets for the kiddos, cotton escape rooms, VR games, and candy… The list feels nearly bowling too. endless, and you’ll end up wanting to try it all. But even if all you want to do is enjoy some time out of the Regulars who view movies at house to catch the latest flick, Cinergy love the fact that the Cinergy offers an experience whole experience has the feel of you won’t quite find anywhere that home movie theater you’ve else. Once you buy your ticket, always dreamed of building. head in the opposite direction They also love the prices, of the gaming floor and toward which typically range from $5 the movie area, where eight specials on Tuesdays to $11 at theaters are nestled quietly the high point of the weekend. away from all the other Cinergy Cinergy keeps the cost of its fun. The movie attendant tickets affordable, ensuring that will happily point you where moviegoers enjoy a fantastic you need to go. The venue experience in a very walletshows first-run movies with friendly way. all-digital projection for a superior showing. Once a month on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., Cinergy plans to show When you enter the movie a family movie in an auditorium theaters, you’ll notice specially designed for those with immediately that this is more autism and sensory processing than just a cineplex. There are disorders. These shows will luxurious, cushioned leather feature elements that are fitting seats that are supremely for those with special sensory

When it comes to going to the movies these days, amenities are often the thing that either draws a person to choose a theater or pass it by. Some people even wonder if the movie theater is dying out. But a visit to the indulgent, pampering style of seeing a film at Tulsa’s Cinergy will prove why theaters are still a wonderful, fun event not to be missed. Step inside, and you’ll see why this is the hottest — and most bang for your buck — ticket in town.

Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-Midnight Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-2 a.m.

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Whimsical art for over 20 years! New Location! 1326 E. 3rd St. Tulsa, OK 74120 Store Hours Monday - Friday 10-5 Saturday 10-3 info@gardendeva.com 918-592-3382 48 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

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River Spirit Casino Resort | B4-83

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Alan Maschho

Alan Maschhoff’s HYOH Adventures club presents an the outdoors in a nonjudgmental environment, create opportunity for people to experience beautiful memories, and find a new life path. Alan Maschhoff grew up in the middle of the desert in Ridgecrest, California, with his mother and sister, his parents divorcing when he was 9. Having little contact or financial support from his father, Maschhoff watched his mom work hard to provide for their family. “Being poor, I had to create entertainment,” says Maschhoff, who loved to explore his surroundings as a kid. “I hiked in the desert, discovered mine shafts, caught lizards, snakes, and tarantulas.” Always wondering what was over the next mountain or ridge, Maschhoff enjoyed his childhood

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adventures and was nurtured by strong, hardworking women. “My mother was a very athletic, responsible, and loving mother,” says Maschhoff. His grandmother also modeled the love and support Maschhoff needed to thrive. Even though she lived two hours away, his grandmother used to visit and take him and his sister on trips from time to time. “That’s where I discovered the appreciation for travel and closeness of family and friends,” he says. When Maschhoff was 11, his grandmother died. Having never experienced death before, he was sad and confused. At age 15, they moved to Bakersfield to be closer

By Gina Conroy // Photos by Marc Rain s

to family. Compared to the desert, Bakersfield was a big city filled with new adventures and places to explore. “I used to hike in the nearby mountains, which are part of the Sierras in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas,” says Maschhoff. At 17 and a junior in high school, the curious, adventurous boy had become athletic and popular, yet his security and strength still came from his mother, aunt, and an uncle who had become like a father to him. Unfortunately, that year, a tragedy hit, crumbling Maschhoff ’s firm

foundation. Cancer, which had stolen his grandmother’s life years earlier, also took his mom. “She was 38,” says Maschhoff. “This was a big blow to me and the beginning of my downward spiral to self-destruction.” He went to live with his aunt, and though no one could see his emotional decline, his pain and hopelessness soon culminated in near tragedy. “Everyone thought I was doing extremely well,” says Maschhoff, who admitted he played that part. “I thrived in everything I was doing and never showed any sign of no

longer wanting to exist.” One day at 17, in his room while holding a gun, he contemplated suicide. “God only knows how I survived.” Maschhoff ’s hard times were not over. Years later, his aunt died of cancer. “Before I was 26, I had lost everyone in my life who had supported and encouraged me,” says Maschhoff. Everyone he had admired because of their character, the way they lived, their ability to overcome obstacles, and excel in life was gone. Maschhoff felt alone, yet somehow managed to go on with life. Ten years after his mom’s death, that popular jock in high school navigated his way to young adulthood and grew into a successful college student. “I met a wonderful lady, got married, and we had two wonderful boys,” he says. Though Maschhoff never graduated with a degree from college, you could say he was living the American Dream with a house, cars, boats, and money in the bank. “Life was great and wonderful for a time.” Then the stress of his job and family not only got to Maschhoff but also to his wife. She wanted to separate and, eventually, divorce.

thoughts of ending his life took root again. “Things began to spiral down to the point that I took action to try to commit suicide on Christmas Eve,” says Maschhoff. Thankfully his attempt failed. Coming out of the hospital, he had found his reason to live: His youngest son was 17, the same age he was when Maschhoff lost his mom. “Why would I put my son through the same thing I did as a kid, especially on Christmas Eve?,” says Maschhoff. He knew there was more to life and that he couldn’t put his son through the same pain he went through growing up. The only parent at the time, Maschhoff looked to the one thing that had given him joy growing up: the great outdoors. First, he got out in nature by himself, and then he joined an outdoor adventure group in California led by his mentor, Bill Baugher. Maschhoff began to see positive changes in his life physically, emotionally, and mentally. His confidence was returning. He felt free to talk and open up without hiding. Soon he realized spending time in nature was not only changing him; it was healing him.

“That’s when I pretty much lost it,” he says.

“I’m a different person now,” says Maschhoff. “I’m stronger than I ever was before.”

Maschhoff fell into such a deep depression and anxiety that

Little did Maschhoff know at the time his love of the outdoors that

healed his soul would also give hope to others. “Everyone goes through a lot of things in life,” says Maschhoff. “I wanted to take something I’ve experienced and overcome to try to help others.” That’s where Maschhoff ’s passion for creating a club where all are accepted, included, and treated like family came from. What Baugher did for him, he now offers to everyone else through the HYOH Adventures club. “Everyone hikes their hike in life, so we should all live and let live on and off the trail,” says Maschhoff. “That is the meaning and foundation of our adventure cub’s name, HYOH: Hike Your Own Hike.” Although Maschhoff has been leading outdoor adventures in Oklahoma and Arkansas for six years, he didn’t start his group until January 2019. With only a name, Facebook page, website, and photos of all the various adventures he’s led over the years, the page follows started to increase. In six months, HYOH Adventures had 500 followers and 2,700 by Nov. 1, and it’s not slowing down. Maschhoff seemed to have filled a niche for adventurers, both single and married, to find fun, safe, and affordable ways to connect to the outdoors and others. “HYOH makes adventures of all kinds possible to anyone, regardless of age, strength, skills,”

says Beverly Hill, a solo adventurer. “Not just Alan, the founder, but the members, despite varied backgrounds, are welcoming adventure seekers who seem to act like making friends is also one of life’s grandest adventures!” “Alan is a great leader and planner,” says Teri Goforth, who attended a weekend trip to the Ozarks. “He knew all the details of our hike and planned fun experiences in town. We will add this trip to our great fun adventures list.” But Maschhoff ’s quick to remind everyone they’re not just a hiking club. Aside from outdoor adventures, the group has meetups, movie nights, and other family-friendly activities like volleyball and impromptu outings. “First, Alan is a generous man with his time, his resources, and his skills,” says Kimberly Osment. “Second, what a great group of people. Third, they organize everything: a variety of activities; local, day, and weekend trips away; pub crawls; and dancing. And they are open to suggestions.” Community is not the only reason Maschhoff started HYOH Adventures club. “Adventures can be costly for people with limited funds and set incomes, so I wanted everyone to have the means to be included and to experience opportunities and adventures in the outdoors,” says Maschhoff.

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With the success of the club and page likes growing daily, Maschhoff decided to take the club to the next level by offering membership benefits. With a membership-based club, he could lead more trips, provide more equipment, and offer group discounts for the members.

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Despite their exponential growth, their mission remains the same: present an opportunity for people to experience affordable adventures in the outdoors in a safe, nonjudgmental environment, create beautiful memories, and develop new friendships.

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“I wanted people without proper gear to experience these adventures without spending a lot of money on the gear first,” says Maschhoff, who isn’t compensated for his time prospecting, planning, preparing for, and leading these trips. In April 2019, paid membership opened, and by November, membership had grown to 350. Veronica Lovell went on her first HYOH Adventure with her husband and 10-year-old, who said he would hate it. “He loved it because of the people,” says Lovell. “Alan planned everything with down payments, getting keys, and scouting areas. We jumped on board to be members because of his dedication. We are staying members because of him and the wonderful people who made my kiddo want to go hiking and camping again.” “It’s never been about the money,” Maschhoff says. The membership money collected is put back into the group to buy new gear and equipment for members to use.

Getting your child's haircut can be scary, but I have put the fun in it for you and your child! 54 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019 12 JULY 2016

something, but the money will help more people benefit.” Maschhoff ’s spring goal is to finish his inventory and be able to accommodate 30 people to use the kayaks and other equipment like backpacks and camping gear. Currently, the inventory is stored in a unit Maschhoff rents with money out of his pocket. Once the group grows, he can afford a bigger unit and more equipment. “One day, I hope to have 20 backpacks with all the gear people can check out at once,” says Maschhoff. He also envisions having 20 mountain bikes so he can load them in the trailer to have them waiting for people to use at the trail. HYOH Adventures ended its big adventure of the year with a hike in the Buffalo River Valley in November. While winter is a slow season for outdoor activities, they plan to host three different options a week for the rest of 2019, including cave tours, meetups, movie nights, and other local, day trip outings. What started as Maschhoff ’s passion for sharing his story of tragedy to triumph through the power of nature to help others has grown into something more than he could have envisioned: serving the community. “In September, we hosted an event to help clean up the Oxley Nature Center, and in October, we assisted Tulsa Nightlife’s event in feeding the homeless,” says Maschhoff. And that’s just the beginning.

But members aren’t the only ones to benefit from the club and trips.

Nikkie Petrillo-Boyd, HYOH community service coordinator, is planning more outreaches like volunteer tutoring with kids in the community, habitat for humanity, and walking animals at the pound.

“I believe in having free days and family days open to the public where people can use the equipment without being a member,” says Maschhoff. “I want everybody to experience

“HYOH wants people in the community to know they are valued,” says Petrillo-Boyd. “By investing our time and talents in the community, it gives people a sense of belonging.”

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The

Trap

This time of year, the days are shorter, the air is colder, and somehow your clothes have become a bit more snug. Yep, it sounds like the holiday season and all the indulgence that comes with it. BY LINDSAY MORRIS Why is it that we tend to gain weight in the fall and winter? Sure, all the scrumptious holiday foods and libations pack on pounds, but are there other reasons? Holiday weight gain is a well-studied phenomenon, and nearly everyone tends to gain at least a little extra around the waist this time of year. Surveys show people tend to gain two to five pounds on average during the winter months. This may not seem like a lot, but most people don’t lose this extra baggage. Therefore, holidays may be one of the most significant contributors to your total annual weight gain.

during the holiday season, multiple tips and tricks can help keep you healthy, happy, and weight-conscious during this time of year.

out of sight. However, that strategy is more difficult to avoid in situations that you cannot control, such as at your workplace or a family party.

Beyond general diet tips, it’s best to make sure you’re getting plenty of exercise and limiting your intake of holiday treats. If you’re diligent, you may find that you’ve not only prevented weight gain but even lost weight during this celebratory season.

Try to be mindful of your snacking habits. If you find yourself munching just because there’s food around — and not because you’re hungry — it’s best to avoid snacking altogether. However, if you are hungry and need a snack, opt for real foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are filling snacks that don’t contain added sugars or unhealthy fats — both of which can lead to weight gain.

That said, holiday weight gain is not inevitable.

SNACK WISELY During the holiday season, unhealthy snacks like cookies and other goodies tend to be available for you to take as you please. When treats are easy to access, you’re more likely to snack unnecessarily.

While staying on top of your weight goals can feel daunting

At home, this problem can be solved by keeping treats

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GET MOVING When holiday activities ramp up, and we’re gearing up for some out of office time, workouts are one of the first

things to slip. But even if you don’t have time for an hourlong spin class or your typical yoga session, put in what you can. Exercise has several mental and physical benefits, and the science suggests it can counter some of the metabolic effects of overeating, even if it doesn’t wash out all those extra calories you’re consuming. Resist the all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to workouts and do what you can when you can — even if that’s just a quick routine in your living room. It may be especially helpful to enlist a friend. One study found that doing so led to increased activity, particularly if the workout partner provided encouragement and support. So grab a pal and go for a quick walk or make a weekly date

to attend a group class. If you can’t meet up in person, have a virtual check in to encourage each other to keep moving. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR EATING People are often in a rush during the holiday season, which frequently leads to multitasking during meals. Studies show that those who eat while distracted are more likely to overeat. This is because they’re unable to pay attention to their body’s fullness signals. To prevent this, eat mindfully and minimize distractions — including work and electronics. Try to chew slowly and thoroughly, which will allow you to recognize your body’s fullness signals better and consume fewer calories. It can also be helpful to take a few deep breaths before you start eating. This can induce relaxation and help you keep your full attention on your plate, rather than your to-do list. FIND A HEALTHY COMFORT FOOD December and January are usually filled with cold days, which leads to us cuddling up on the couch and catching up on Netflix shows. Chilly weather also makes us crave comfort food like pasta, nachos, and pizza. If you end up eating this way every day during the holidays, you are going to gain weight. Now is an excellent time to eat healthy comfort food that you can indulge in. Try food like turkey chili, oatmeal, and vegetable stir-fry. These foods will “stick to your ribs” and keep you full for a long time. Be mindful while you’re eating by chewing slowly and thoroughly enjoying the flavors of the foods. This will help you eat slower. MEAL PREP With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, most of us don’t

have time to cook a homemade meal every night. The temptation is to grab fast food on the go. Instead, cook one or two days a week and use this time to prep several days’ worth of meals in advance so that you don’t have to cook on busy days. Use your slow cooker to make ahead stews, soups, and other nutritious one-pot meals. Keep fruit on hand for snacks. SLEEP Sleep deprivation, which is quite common during the holidays, may cause weight gain. This is because those who do not sleep enough tend to be hungrier, consume more calories, and exercise less. Additionally, inadequate sleep has been linked to lower metabolism. This may be caused by alterations in your circadian rhythm — a biological clock that regulates many of your bodily functions. Know when to call it a night and aim for the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each evening. DRINK WISELY If you usually have seven drinks per week and then innocently turn that into 11 drinks for the holiday season, the extra 16 drinks (four drinks per four weeks of the holidays) equals about 1,600 calories. Not so innocent anymore. These extra drinks may also lead to poor sleep and higher consumption of food. The calories may not sound so bad, but they contribute to weight gain. Instead, plan the nights that you will be indulging in alcohol and skip the nights that are not all that festive. If you feel out of place without a drink, try sipping water or club soda, so you have something to carry like everyone else. When possible, stick with the recommended caps of one

drink a day for women, two for men, and try to avoid sugary mix-ins, which can worsen the impact of alcohol, among other things. DON’T SAVE CALORIES It’s common to try to eat lightly to save calories for the holiday meal, but this plan can backfire because when you’re beyond hungry, it’s hard to stay in control of your food choices. Instead of eating ultra-lightly or even fasting, try having a late but satisfying breakfast or brunch. Since holiday meals tend to be on the early side, you may not need to eat on your regular schedule, so a meaningful brunch might be enough to keep you content and energized until you hit the main affair. Your nonholiday meal should include the winning combo of protein and fiber — the nutrient duo that helps tame hunger. Some examples: A yogurt parfait or smoothie made with Greek yogurt, berries and a portion of nuts or nut butter; a salad made with greens, leftover roasted veggies, canned tuna, and a drizzle of dressing; a grain bowl with the grain and veggie portions reversed (to boost your veggie intake) made with chicken or turkey. This format keeps things light but filling so you can stay in control of your holiday choices. It’s also a good structure for meals on your non-party days. WEIGH YOURSELF It’s hard to notice when you’ve gained a pound or two, but your scale can pick up these small gains, which is why weight monitoring can be such an effective way to prevent weight gain. In one study among more than 1,000 adults, daily weigh-ins over a year led to small but significant weight loss, even though participants weren’t instructed to lose weight. Another study among college freshmen found that routinely hopping on the scale wasn’t linked with any difference in mood, body

dissatisfaction, or unhealthy weight control behaviors (like excessive exercise or food restriction). Indeed, if the scale produces anxiety, makes you question your worth or causes any disturbances to your emotional well-being, it’s not the right tool for you. But if you can look at the numbers without judgment, the scale can provide useful feedback and help prevent weight gain. BREAK OUT THE SWIMSUIT Because we’re more fully clothed this time of year, we don’t care about our bodies as much. Goodbye, bathing suits and short shorts. Hello, chunky sweaters, leggings, and boots. We have six months left until swimsuit season, and our exercise plan and diet are out the window. To prevent gaining a couple of clothing sizes during this season, consider trying on your summer clothing every so often. Seeing tightening waistlines can be motivation enough to keep your figure in check, even while you’re enjoying your cozy sweaters. AVOID BEING SAD The changing seasons may be messing with our psyche. Some people experience a mild, moderate, or severe version of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression related to the changes in season. Most people with SAD experience symptoms beginning in the fall and continuing through the winter months. This decrease in mood and energy can naturally lead to less physical activity and an increase in coping mechanisms such as unhealthy eating and drinking. If you find yourself experiencing any level of seasonal depression, consider visiting a counselor and coming up with a game plan for how to cope during the fall and winter months.

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ALL IS NOT LOST YOU REACH INTO YOUR PURSE OR POCKET, AND IT’S GONE. YOU’VE LOST YOUR WALLET, OR WORSE, IT’S BEEN STOLEN. NOW WHAT? — By Lindsay Morris Few feelings are worse than the pit in your stomach that forms when you realize you’ve lost your purse or wallet — or realize it’s been stolen. Your first instinct may be to panic. Should you call the police? Your mom? Try to chase down the thief? Your mind is spinning. Sadly, the chance of having your purse or wallet stolen rises during the holidays. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, robbery increases by about 20% in December. Thieves prowl malls and shopping centers, looking for unlocked cars and unsuspecting victims. If you’re fortunate enough not to be a victim of a robbery, you should also be aware that the chances of losing your purse or wallet also surge during the holidays. We’re all busier and more frantic this time of year, and it makes sense that we might accidentally drop our wallet in a parking lot or leave our purse in a bathroom stall. What should you do if your valuable possessions go missing? After you determine that the wallet or purse is gone and not just hiding in a couch cushion or

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the backseat of your car, there are some steps you must take quickly.

CALL THE ISSUER OF YOUR DEBIT CARD Thieves can do a lot of damage with a debit card in a short period, so this should be your first line of action. According to lifelock. com, if you report your debit card missing within two business days, you will only be responsible for a maximum of $50 worth of unauthorized purchases. Most banks won’t even charge you that. Your bank will also go over recently listed purchases with your card to determine the last legal purchase you made before losing your debit card. If you wait more than two days and fewer than 60 to report your card missing, you could be responsible for up to $500 in illegal purchases. If you make your report after 60 days? Then you can be held accountable for every unlawful purchase made with your card.

CALL THE BANK THAT ISSUED YOUR CHECKBOOK While few of us carry around a checkbook anymore, if you do, you should be sure to call the bank that issued it. You will take some of the same steps you took for

canceling your debit card since thieves can use checks to do a lot of damage quickly. You will need to know the numbers of the checks you lost to stop payment on them. Fortunately, this isn’t too hard to figure out. Check your bank statement to find the number of the most recent check that you wrote, then cancel every number between that one and the start of the next batch of checks in the box.

the three national credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — to request that they place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the bureaus. That bureau then must alert the other two so that they can place their fraud alerts on your credit reports. Your fraud alerts will remain in place for free for 90 days.

To solve the problem completely, you’ll have to close your account and open a new one.

Here are the numbers of the three credit bureaus: Equifax: 800-525-6258 Experian: 888-397-3742 TransUnion: 800-680-7289

CALL YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANIES

ORDER CREDIT REPORTS

Call all of the companies that issued your credit cards. According to the Fair Credit Billing Act, you are not responsible for any fraudulent purchases on your credit card as long as you report your card stolen before a thief uses it. If a thief uses your credit card before you report it stolen, you’ll only be responsible for a maximum of $50 of unauthorized buys.

Everyone is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three credit-reporting agencies. Be sure to monitor your reports for suspicious activity. To order your reports, visit annualcreditreport.com. Since each credit agency tracks the same information, stagger your requests so that you receive one credit report from each of the three every four months. This will allow you to check your credit more frequently without a fee.

SET UP FRAUD ALERTS WITH THE NATIONAL CREDIT BUREAUS To prevent thieves from stealing your identity, one of the best ways to guard yourself is to call one of

FILE A POLICE REPORT Local police often can’t do much to retrieve your possessions.

Also, they may not prioritize your report unless there was more than one victim or violence was associated with it. However, you should still file a police report so that you have a record of the incident. It will make dealing with the situation go more smoothly if you have proof of what happened. To file a report, contact the police precinct closest to the place where you believe your wallet or purse was lost or stolen. If you’re not sure where that was, reach out to the precinct closest to your home. Depending on where you are, you may have the option to file the report online. After you file the report, get the report number and a copy of the report. Companies you work with to fix an identity theft issue will want to see this report, so make several copies, and be sure to keep the original.

GET A NEW DRIVER’S LICENSE If your driver’s license was in your wallet, you’ll need to replace it. If you don’t, you could face a hefty fine if you’re driving and a police officer stops you. You might have to visit your local DMV to do this. The requirements for a new license vary by state, so make sure to check the website of your local DMV to make sure you have the proof of identity you need. Most states will require you to show proof of your residence, usually in the form of a utility or cable bill or some other paperwork with your name on it, your birth certificate, or your Social Security number.

MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN YOUR PURSE OR WALLET Most of us carry a lot of cards. Write down everything you can remember carrying. Start by first replacing those items you need. You’ll need to replace insurance cards, for example, so that you can show them during doctor appointments.

REPORT IF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER WAS STOLEN It’s a good rule of thumb to not carry your Social Security card with you. If, however, you did have your Social Security card stolen, you’ll need to order a credit freeze with the three national credit bureaus. This may help prevent a thief from opening new credit under your name. In most cases, the Social Security Administration will not give you a new Social Security number. They’ll give you a new card, but not a new number. You might, though, be able to convince the administration to provide you with a new number if you can prove that someone has used your current number to steal your identity. That’s where filing that police report, and showing a copy of that report as evidence, comes in handy.

CONTACT A LAWYER Identity theft almost always creates legal problems. Talk to your lawyer about what happened as well as the steps you’ve taken to protect yourself so far and find out if they have any other advice. Some states have laws and agencies to help identity theft victims, and a lawyer can point you in the right direction. If you don’t know a lawyer, then try the state attorney general’s office.

CONSIDER CHANGING THE LOCKS If you kept a key to your home in your wallet or purse, you’ll need to change the locks to your house. Keep in mind that the thief has access to your address through your driver’s license. Avoid the risk of a break-in by quickly changing the locks to your home.

GET A NEW PURSE OR WALLET After all the stress of trying to replace the contents of your purse or wallet, you can at least enjoy treating yourself to a new wallet or purse and commit to being more vigilant about protecting it.

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Having worn many hats during his professional career, Jeff Medders gears up for rodeo’s Super Bowl as the TV voice of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. By John Tranchina Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts Jeff Medders

Jeff Medders grew up on a ranch and rodeoed in high school, but he thought his cowboy days were long behind him as he pursued a career in sports broadcasting. As it turned out, though, he ended up becoming the national voice of televised rodeo. Along the way, as many of his paths crossed through Tulsa, Medders started his own production company (Geronimo Productions), which now produces the broadcasts of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the 10-day event every year in Las Vegas that serves as the final championship tournament for the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association). He is also a significant player on the national rodeo scene. “It’s been fun,” Medders says of his winding career path. “I don’t know that I envisioned this being the path that I was going to take, but it’s been fantastic. And I like the rodeo cowboys. You’d like to see those guys make more money, but it’s not like the money has ruined the game. They treat you like you’re one of their own.” The fact that the athletes in both of rodeo’s governing bodies, the PRCA and Professional Bull Riders (PBR), don’t appear to have changed their humble demeanor as the sport’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past decade or so is gratifying to Medders and makes him proud to be a part of that world. “The PRCA renegotiated their deal with Las Vegas a couple of years ago, in terms of keeping the NFR there, and the [overall] prize money jumped to $10 million,” Medders says. “It’s helped them a lot. You got guys making $350,000-400,000 now. The

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PBR’s done a great job of creating stars and building a television tour.”

television production too, so I wear several different hats during the NFR.”

Medders’ inclusion in the equation was somewhat coincidental. Still, once he got into that arena, he became more entrenched in it — first as the TV voice of the NFR broadcasts, and eventually starting his own company to produce them.

The rodeo connection comes naturally to Medders, who grew up on a ranch in Talihina, Oklahoma (about 140 miles southeast of Tulsa), and learned some of the tricks of the trade when he was young.

It all started with Medders landing a gig as an intern in Tulsa at KJRH Channel 2. Following his internship, he left town for a while to become a sports news anchor at a station in Midland/Odessa, Texas, before returning to Tulsa and Channel 2 as their weekend news anchor for five years. “While I was at Channel 2, a company called Winnercomm started in Tulsa, and they were doing syndicated horse racing. They were a fast-rising production company, and eventually became the largest program packager for ESPN,” says Medders, an Oklahoma State University graduate. “I went to work for them in 1988, doing America’s Horse on ESPN. At first, I was a freelancer. Then in 1991, they picked up all of the PRCA rodeo stuff on ESPN. That was the first year that I did the NFR, and I’ve been the television host of the NFR ever since. “Winnercomm went through some sales, some changes, and through that course of time, I was doing other stuff and started my own production company. We’ve done the National Finals Rodeo for the last eight years. I’m the host, but my company does all the

“I junior rodeoed as a kid, just more down the line of steer riding. I’m a terrible roper,” he says. “We had a cow-calf operation down there, so I grew up working cattle and riding horses and doing that kind of thing. I played a bunch of stuff in high school too. “Starting in 1991, rodeo became the center of my universe, and it’s just stayed there.” While it was a challenge creating his own production company when his background was more as the on-air talent, Medders credits his success to his philosophy of surrounding himself with knowledgeable people to collaborate with. “After I left Winnercomm, I freelanced with CBS, ESPN, Animal Planet, and a variety of different networks. Through the course of that stretch of 15 years, I worked with so many talented people,” says Medders. “I like the behind-the-scenes stuff, but I also know there are people who are better at it than me. I’ve worked hard always to hire talented people who have great ideas. “I think old-school TV is like a pyramid, where there’s a guy who sits at the top dictating

down to everybody else how it’s going to be. I think my model is more of a reverse pyramid. I like a lot of cooks in the kitchen. I like a lot of ideas. I like a lot of people collaborating and bringing their side of the equation, their expertise to the project. I think that’s been a good model for us, and it’s worked out well.” And while rodeo programming is the marquee feature of its repertoire, Geronimo Productions doesn’t only cover rodeo. “We do a lot of corporate and commercial stuff, and we’ve been involved in some bull riding series that have been on GAC and FOX,” Medders says. “Tuff Hedeman has been the front guy for that. [Hedeman won the PRCA bull riding world championship three times and the PBR championship once.] I’m still involved with Tuff on the television of his tour now, the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour. We also do the National High School Rodeo series on RFD-TV. We’ve done several documentaries, and we’re working on several reality projects at the moment. We’re trying to branch out and do some different things in that cowboy world, which I think is untapped and has a lot of appeal for people across the country. “I have a show right now on CBS Sports Network called Bullseye. It’s very similar to Feherty on the Golf Channel. I sit down with either legends from the past or current stars, and it’s a little more in-depth, a little rawer.” And there’s no one better equipped to illuminate those stories than Medders.

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SC SPORTS CENTRAL

Wyvette Mayberry

HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE DESPITE BEING RECRUITED BY SEVERAL HIGH-PROFILE PROGRAMS, WYVETTE MAYBERRYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OPPORTUNITY TO STAY IN TULSA, BECOME TEAMMATES WITH HER SISTER, AND TO PLAY FOR HER FATHER AT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY WAS JUST TOO MUCH TO IGNORE. by john tranchina | photos by marc rains 62 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

Wyvette Mayberry’s life has been dominated by basketball. The senior at Booker T. Washington High School grew up in a family consumed by the sport. Her dad, Lee, starred at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, the University of Arkansas (helping lead the Razorbacks to the 1990 Final Four) and then in the NBA for seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks and Vancouver Grizzlies. She also has three older sisters who have played Division I college hoops as well, including her sister, Maya, who is three years older and currently attends Oral Roberts University, where Lee is the assistant coach. The family connection is so tight that Wyvette has already committed to ORU for next year, despite being recruited by several other, more highprofile programs. The chance to stay in Tulsa, become teammates with her sister, and to play for her father was just too much to ignore. “It was more like a family decision,” Mayberry says of choosing ORU. “My dad’s there, my older sister’s there. She’s sitting out this year, so I will get to play two years with her. And then I just liked the coaching staff, being close to home, so that’s why I made that decision. To be around the family, and to play for my dad is something I think will be cool.” Booker T. Washington coach Rabu Heyva supported the move, feeling confident that Mayberry made the right choice. “I told her, ‘Make the best decision for you because you’re the one that’s going to do all the work,’” Heyva says. “I think at the end of the day some people would say, ‘She could have gone to a bigger school,’ and she could have, no doubt about it. I don’t know if there’s any school that would

have been a better fit for her, with the family piece playing a role. I think her family has always been the biggest driving force.” Mayberry always knew this would be her destiny. Growing up around her sisters had a significant effect on her, as they competed with each other. And being the fourth of five (she also has a younger sister, Rhyian, in middle school) always induced her to work even harder to keep up. Taleya helped Booker T. Washington win two state championships (2008 and 2009) before playing four years at the University of Tulsa (2009-13) and is now an assistant coach at TU. Kaylan also won a state title at Booker T. in 2013 and played at ORU from 2013-17, while Maya is redshirting now after her sophomore year at ORU. “I always knew since I was a little girl that I was going to play basketball,” Wyvette says. “Just watching my older sisters play, I always looked up to them, I always wanted to be like them, score as many points as them, so it’s really shaped me and just made me want to go 10 times harder so maybe I could accomplish more things than them. It’s just always encouraged me to be a better player. [There was] a lot of competition. Them always talking noise — it was always competition.” And of course, the influence of her father has been massive, mainly because he coached her during her formative years. “He coached me from like fourth grade to eighth grade,” Wyvette says. “But with all my sisters, he’s coached every last one of us.” She pointed out that having such a famous and knowledgeable father could be both positive and negative at times.

“Yes, it could be both,” she admits. “It could be intimidating because sometimes you feel like there’s so much pressure on you, but then also, it’s a blessing, because to have a man like that in my life to teach me stuff — it’s a blessing. I learn a lot from him.” Lee’s coaching duties led to the family moving around the last few years as he took different coaching jobs. After living in Tulsa through sixth grade, Wyvette moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for her seventh-grade year when Lee was hired as an assistant coach for the University of Arkansas men’s team. She played on Fayetteville High School’s Arkansas Class 7A state championship squad as a freshman in 2016-17, with Maya playing a starring role as a senior. Then as a sophomore, she moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, when her dad became an assistant at Watson Chapel High School before returning to Tulsa for last season when Lee joined ORU’s staff. Wyvette acknowledged that it was a bit difficult adjusting to three different high schools (and basketball teams) in three years, but she made it work. “I guess since I’m such an outgoing person, it wasn’t as hard for me, but at the same time, it was, because having to go to a new school and adjust to a new school, and adjust to a new coach, it was kind of stressful at the beginning,” she says. “But as it went on, it got easier and easier for me.” The fact that the last move was back to Tulsa, where she still had friends, and where she had been returning for frequent visits, made the transition to Booker T. much smoother. “It’s been great. It’s been a lot different from the other high

schools I’ve been to, with the school spirit, football games, pep rallies, and everything,” Mayberry says. Heyva noted that it was Mayberry’s affable personality and humility on the court that made her fit in so easily. “She went to middle school with some of the girls who are here now. Her game is what made the transition so easy because if you’re open, she’ll give you the ball,” Heyva says. “She was never like, ‘Man, I got these offers, so I got to get this many shots.’ It was just that she desired to fit in. She doesn’t mind the shine going to other kids.” Booker T. Washington went 16-11 last year, eventually falling in the Class 6A area playoffs, one game before reaching the state tournament, and Mayberry is determined to advance further this season. “I feel like we have a lot to prove because of how we ended last season,” she says. “We didn’t even make it to state, which is a huge disappointment. I think the team is excited about the season, and we’re ready to go out and show what we can do.” Heyva has high hopes for what Mayberry can accomplish with the Hornets this season. “She is a super-coachable kid. She is probably one of the best players I’ve ever coached,” Heyva says. “She’ll take coaching. You can push her. She plays defense and offense, and she’s probably unselfish to a fault. I think her best quality as a player is she’s not afraid of the moment. She’s not afraid to take the big shot. She’s played so much basketball that she knows there’s one more play, so she doesn’t get too high or too low.”

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J JENKS

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J JENKS

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SC SPORTS CENTRAL

HEAVY

Micah Walker

FOLLOWING SETBACKS TO A FOUR-TIME STATE CHAMPION, UNION’S MICAH WALKER IS LOOKING TO CAP HIS SENIOR SEASON WITH THE SCHOOL’S FIRST INDIVIDUAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 2015. by john tranchina | photos by marc rains

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METTLE It’s a testament to Micah Walker’s dedication that the Union High School wrestler who first started in the sport in the eighth grade could improve enough to earn a spot on the state tournament podium as a sophomore. Now a senior, Walker hopes to win an individual state championship, while also serving as a respected leader on the Union squad. “My goal this year is to become more trustworthy with my teammates, go after a state title, and be dual champions,” says Walker, who placed third at the Class 6A state meet at 220 pounds as a sophomore in 2017-18 and finished fourth last year. “It’s an honor to be a leader and part of a great team, with great teammates. We all trust each other, and we have a bond that not many teams have.” Union could hardly have a better role model than Walker, who has put in a lot of work as a wrestler, reaching such impressive heights while most of his teammates have been wrestling since they were little kids. “A few people were surprised that I started a few years back, and they’d been doing it since they were in pre-K,” Walker says of his relative inexperience. “The key for me was to be patient and trust what the coaches had to say.

I’m a Christian guy, so I trust God and whatever plan he has for me. So stay relaxed and wrestle to your tempo.” Walker also attributes some of his success on the mat to his mental toughness, which he considers a significant component of wrestling. “I feel like 90% of wrestling is mental,” Walker says. “I’ve beaten guys who were destroying me at some point because I was mentally tougher.” Union wrestling coach Danny Jefferson praises Walker and how he’s overcome his “rough upbringing,” believing this could be his year. “He’s overcome a lot of odds,” Jefferson says. “I would say that he’s one of the hardest working guys we have. He’s an excellent kid, a great athlete, but an even better young man. He was riding his bike up here for 6 a.m. workouts, then back home, and then back up here in the evenings for wrestling workouts. You admire that. He’ll do whatever it takes; he’s always going to be there. You can depend on it. “He’s positioned himself to be in the championship hunt for an individual title. Anything can happen. I’m not going to say he’s the No. 1 guy, but he’s a contender. To be a

finalist, to be a champion, you got to be lucky. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Everything has to align well. I think it’s his time.” That is especially true with two of his toughest rivals having graduated last year: Broken Arrow’s Zach Marcheselli, a four-time state champion who was named the Tulsa World’s All-World Boys Athlete of the Year in 2019, and Jared Galli of Jenks. Walker had some epic battles with Marcheselli, coming agonizingly close to beating him twice, but falling just short, while going 2-2 against Galli. Against Marcheselli in the 6A east regional final as a sophomore, Walker trailed 1-0 when he took him down with five seconds left for what should have been a two-point takedown (and a 2-1 Walker victory). Still, the officials ruled that it occurred out of bounds. Marcheselli won 1-0 and went on to claim the state title a week later, while Walker placed third after pinning Galli in the consolation final. Then last year, after beating Galli 3-2 in overtime to place third in the east regional, Walker faced Marcheselli again in the state tournament semifinal. He had Marcheselli down at one point, needing to hold him for about another second or

so to earn takedown points, but Marcheselli got out of it. That was the difference in a nailbiting 4-2 defeat. Marcheselli went on to win the 220-pound title again while Walker subsequently lost a 3-2 overtime decision to Galli in the consolation final to finish fourth. The close calls with Marcheselli are both a source of pride and pain for Walker now. “I know I should have had him,” Walker said. “I’m not trying to focus on the past very much. It stings a little bit, but I just got to focus on the present.” While Jefferson believes Walker has a good chance to wrestle in college, as several schools are recruiting him, Walker has decided to play football in college instead. As a linebacker and defensive lineman, Walker has played football since he was younger. The two sports do seem to complement each other, as Walker acknowledged that his wrestling skills help him tackle better on defense in football. “Wrestling helps me a lot with conditioning and helps me be more explosive,” Walker says. “It helps me stay low when I’m tackling, and it helps with a lot of core work.”

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LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GO OILERS SUN dec 1st VS. allen @4:05PM fri dec 6th VS. fort wayne @7:05PM FRI dec 13TH VS. wichita @7:05PM SAT dec 14TH VS. wichita @7:05PM sun dec 15TH VS. wichita @4:05PM thu dec 19th vs. utah @7:05pm

call (918)-632-7825 to purchase tickets now 68 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

ALL TIMES CENTRAL // GAME DATES/TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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RB RESTAURANT + BAR FINDER

We are tapped into what’s trending and delicious, giving you a first-hand look at where to go, what to eat, where the best cocktails are, and how to map out your culinary adventures in the 918. Whatever your mood, whatever you crave, the 918 has a restaurant or bar sure to satisfy. From local classics to chain favorites, a variety of options catering to every palate and pocketbook are available. For those on the move, search our website database with over 200 restaurants and bars in nearly 20 categories.

PREVIEW918.COM/DINE-DRINK

CATEGORIES AMERICAN ASIAN BAKERY BARBECUE BARS + PUBS BREAKFAST BRUNCH COFFEE DELI FINE DINING GLOBAL ITALIAN MEDITERRANEAN MEXICAN PIZZA SEAFOOD SPECIALTY STEAK SWEETS 70 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

FEATURED LISTINGS ALBERT G’S BAR-B-Q

2748 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa 918-747-4799 SEE AD | PAGE 68

DAVE & BUSTER’S

6812 S. 105th E. Ave. | Tulsa 918-449-3100 SEE AD | PAGE 59

FLO’S BURGER DINER 19322 E. Admiral Place | Catoosa 918-739-4858 2604 E. 11th St. | Tulsa 918-398-7102 SEE AD | PAGE 75

FUJI

8226 E. 71st St. | Tulsa 918-250-1821 SEE AD | PAGE 45

ALBERT G’S BAR-B-Q

421 E. 1st St. | Tulsa 918-728-3650 SEE AD | PAGE 68

DILLY DINER

402 E. 2nd St. | Tulsa 918-938-6382 SEE AD | PAGE 5

GEORGE’S PUB

108 N. 1st St. | Jenks 918-296-9711 SEE AD | PAGE 65

AMAZING THAI CUISINE 1232 E. Kenosha St. | Broken Arrow 918-258-8424 SEE AD | PAGE 86

BAXTER’S INTERURBAN GRILL

717 S. Houston Ave., Suite 100 | Tulsa 918-585-3134

DUST BOWL

211 S. Elgin Ave. | Tulsa 918-430-3901 SEE AD | PAGE 5

EL CHICO

9825 E. 21st St. | Tulsa 918-663-7755 SEE AD | PAGE 45

SEE AD | PAGE 87

EL GUAPO’S BROWNIES

2130 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa 918-744-0320 422 Plaza Court, Suite B. | Sand Springs 918-514-0222 SEE AD | PAGE 59

CAZ’S CHOWHOUSE

18 E. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa 918-588-2469 SEE AD | PAGE 28

CAZ’S PUB

21 E. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa 918-585-8587 SEE AD | PAGE 28

CHIMI’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

1304 E. 15th St. | Tulsa 918-587-4411 5320 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa 918-749-7755 6709 E. 81st St. | Tulsa 918-960-2723 SEE AD | PAGE 87

332 E. 1st St. | Tulsa 918-382-RITA 8161 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa 918-728-7482 SEE AD | PAGE 5

ELGIN PARK

325 E. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa 918-986-9910 SEE AD | PAGES 5, 69

ELMER’S BBQ

4130 S. Peoria Ave. | Tulsa 918-742-6702 SEE AD | PAGE 87

FASSLER HALL

304 S. Elgin Ave. | Tulsa 918-576-7898 SEE AD | PAGE 5

GOODCENTS DELI FRESH SUBS

8222 E. 103rd St. | Tulsa 918-364-7827 SEE AD | PAGE 86

IN THE RAW

3321 S. Peoria Ave. | Tulsa 918-744-1300 6151 S. Sheridan Road | Tulsa 918-524-0063 216 S. Main St. | Broken Arrow 918-893-6111 SEE AD | PAGE 33

INCREDIBLE PIZZA

8314 E. 71st St. | Tulsa 539-302-2681 SEE AD | PAGE 3

JASON’S DELI

8321 E. 61st St. | Tulsa 918-252-9999 1330 E. 15th St. | Tulsa 918-599-7777 SEE AD | PAGE 41

JUNIPER

324 E. 3rd St. | Tulsa 918-794-1090 SEE AD | PAGE 7

FAT DADDY’S PUB AND GRILLE

8056 S. Memorial Dr. | Tulsa 918-872-6206 SEE AD | PAGE 68

KIRIN

8041 S. Mingo Road | Tulsa 918-893-8006 SEE AD | PAGE 91

RESTAURANT + BAR FINDER RB KITCH

377 E Main Street | Jenks 918-528-6766 SEE AD | PAGE 65

LOS CABOS

300 Riverwalk Terrace #100 | Jenks 918-298-2226 151 Bass Pro Drive | Broken Arrow 918-355-8877 9455 N. Owasso Expressway | Owasso 918-609-8671 SEE AD | PAGE 9

LOS MARIACHIS

2534 E. Kenosha St. | Broken Arrow 918-251-0370 11476 S. Union Ave. | Jenks 918-296-5352 SEE AD | PAGE 65

MARYN’S TAPHOUSE AND RAW BAR

400 Riverwalk Terrace, Suite 180 | Jenks 918-946-2796 SEE AD | PAGE 65

MEXICALI BORDER CAFÉ 14 W. M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa 918-582-3383 SEE AD | PAGE 29

MIAMI NIGHTS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

6510 E. 21st St. | Tulsa 918-835-4522 SEE AD | PAGE 91

MIXCO

3rd and Denver | Tulsa 918-932-8571 SEE AD | PAGE 7

RICARDOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT

5629 E. 41st St. | Tulsa 918-622-2668 SEE AD | PAGE 41

RINCON MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

6219 E. 61st. St | Tulsa 918-340-5520 SEE AD | PAGE 91

RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT

8330 Riverside Parkway | Tulsa SEE AD | PAGES 23, 100

MOLLY’S LANDING

3700 N. Old Hwy 66 | Catoosa 918-266-7853 SEE AD | PAGE 75

5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE BAR FIRESIDE GRILL

MONDO’S RISTORANTE ITALIAN

3410 S. Peoria Ave. | Tulsa 918-561-6300 SEE AD | PAGE 55

OSAGE CASINO HOTEL 951 W. 36th St. N. | Tulsa 877-246-8777 SEE AD | PAGE 2

STEAK STUFFERS USA 7846 E. 51st. St. | Tulsa 918-743-7474 SEE AD | PAGE 41

SWEET BOUTIQUE

The Boxyard | 502 E. 3rd St., #13 | Tulsa 918-900-2238 SEE AD | PAGE 20

TABLE 20

1927 S. Harvard Ave. | Tulsa 918-986-9120 SEE AD | PAGE 55

TAVOLO

427 S. Boston Ave. | Tulsa 918-949-4498 SEE AD | PAGE 7

THE TAVERN JOHNNY ROCKETS

201 N. Main St. | Tulsa 918-949-9801 SEE AD | PAGE 5

LANDSHARK BAR MARGARITAVILLE

TI AMO RISTORANTE ITALIANO

918-995-8080

6024 S. Sheridan Road | Tulsa 918-499-1919

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

4951 E. 21st St. | Tulsa 918-392-3373

THUNDER BAR & GRILL

918-995-8600

219 S. Cheyenne Ave. | Tulsa 918-592-5151

8102-B S. Lewis Ave. | Tulsa 918-392-3354

NINE BAND BREWING CO.

SCOREBOARD SPORTS BAR

WATERFRONT GRILL

8955 S. Memorial Drive | Tulsa 918-392-0770

STONECREEK KITCHEN

TIKI DINER

MCALISTER’S DELI

720 N. Aspen | Broken Arrow 918-258-3354 8529 N. 129th E. Ave. | Owasso 918-376-9000 SEE AD | PAGE 33

VISIONS BUFFET RONI PEPPO’S

SEE AD | PAGE 33

MCNELLIE’S PUB

409 E. 1st St. | Tulsa 918-382-7468 7031 S. Zurich Ave. | Tulsa 918-933-5250 SEE AD | PAGE 5

PRHYME: DOWNTOWN STEAKHOUSE

111 N. Main St. | Tulsa 918-794-7700 SEE AD | PAGE 7

120 Aquarium Drive | Jenks 918-518-6300 SEE AD | PAGE 9

YOKOZUNA

309 E. 2nd St. | Tulsa 918-508-7676

PRAIRIE BREWPUB

232 N. Main St. | Tulsa 918-936-4395

SEE AD | PAGE 91

SISSEROU’S CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT 107 N. Boulder Ave. | Tulsa 918-576-6800 SEE AD | PAGE 29

SMOKE. WOODFIRE GRILL

9146 S. Yale, Ste. 100 | Tulsa 918-508-7676 SEE AD | PAGE 5

YUTAKA GRILL AND SUSHI BUFFET

6560 E. 51st St. | Tulsa 918-921-3400 SEE AD | PAGE 41

1542 E. 15th St. | Tulsa 918-949-4440 201 S. Main | Owasso 918-401-4343 SEE AD | PAGE 55

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GC GREEN COUNTRY SCENE

WE HAVE Gift-Off FROM TINY TERRARIUMS TO SUSTAINABLY SOURCED STUFFIES, THESE 918 MAKERS ARE SHARING HANDCRAFTED CUSTOMS FORGED FROM INSPIRATION, TALENT, AND HEART. BY JENNIFER ZEHNDER

Some work out of their garage or basement instead of a storefront. Others can be found in online shops or local boutiques. Some do it parttime, and some do it full-time as their only job. There’s the satisfaction of civic pride that comes with buying local and supporting the work of Green Country artisans, creators, makers, and handmade masters of all sorts. And we’re here to help you discover some of the handmade talents that can help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list this holiday season, no matter your budget.

Boggy Creek Terrariums BEGGS facebook.com/BoggyCreekTerrariums | 903-399-4410

A-Anchor Customized Tumblers MCALESTER facebook.com/AAnchorCustomizedTumblers

A-Anchor Customized Tumblers is the result of a Christmas gift idea turned income-making hobby, says maker Allie Talbot. The creative venture took on a life of its own as the stay-at-home mother began gifting customized tumblers with favorite scriptures to friends and family. Today, Talbot’s designs are the perfect fit for a wide range of gift-giving occasions — holiday and seasonal; birthday, wedding and anniversary; businesses and giveaways; and fun personality pieces. • Customized Ozark Trail Tumblers ($20-45) • Reduce Coldee Kids’ Straw Cups ($30) • Munchkin 360 Degree Sippy Cups ($25-30)

Captivated by a floral design course she had taken, Amanda Reschke started Boggy Creek Terrariums in 2015. Her selfsustainable, living dioramas are inspired by natural landscapes and feature moss, rocks, and pieces of wood found on her family hikes and explorations. Reschke especially enjoys the opportunity to recreate special memories or favorite vacation spots for clients — complete with tiny, realistic figures. • Small-to-Micro Landscape ($25) • Medium-to-Large Landscape ($50-65) Prices will vary depending on detail and size.

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GREEN COUNTRY SCENE GC Two Guns Leather

Mary + Hazel Likewise

TAHLEQUAH

TULSA

twogunsleather.com | 918-871-9108

A powwow world regular, Osceola Red Shirt was inspired to try leather tooling by his uncle Darrell Brushbreaker, Sr. As an adult, Red Shirt began making smaller tooled items to sell to powwow vendors. Custom belt orders for fellow dancers followed, and eventually lead to the creation of Two Guns Leather in 2017, which also features work from his wife, Genevieve. Together, the pair lends a modern touch to Native artwork in the form of functional leather art.

facebook.com/ MaryandHazelLikewise

Mary+Hazel Likewise crafter Jesse Pavlik is passionate about making sure her children and future grandchildren have a secure and sustainable home on Earth — one where they can learn to appreciate their unique beauty and differences. Her business, which uses organic cotton almost exclusively in sewing and crafting playthings for children, is the embodiment of those goals. Pavlik’s custom ragdolls are available in six skin tones, eight hair colors, 10 hairstyles, and a multitude of eye colors for round or almond-shaped eyes. Glasses, freckles, and other custom features like name embroidery allow buyers to give the gift of individuality to their favorite youngster. • Ragdolls ($35-65) and Floppy-Eared Bunnies ($25) • Whimsical Gnomes ($20 comes with storybook) • Smaller Creations (from $5, as shown Fox $10)

• Totes (from $200, as shown $250) • Wallets (from $40) • Dopp Kits (from $110)

Urth Gems STILWELL facebook.com/urthgems | 918-822-2388

Described as earthy, feel-good, and grounding, Urth Gem styles incorporate many urth-friendly elements, including wood, gemstones, fossils, bone, and leather. Artisan Jacqueline Falk is a graphic designer by trade and nature enthusiast and mushroom hunter by choice. She believes jewelry should accentuate your natural beauty, not distract from it. In addition to custom-crafted creations, Falk also retrofits (no silversmithing) old jewelry into new pieces. • Nomad ($20-50) and Modest Necklaces ($15-20) • Gemstone Earrings ($10-30) • Stack ‘ems Bracelets (one for $5, three for $12)

Treehouse Woodworks Wander Rust BRISTOW etsy.com/shop/TreehouseWoodworks | 918-268-9222

What’s old is new again thanks to Treehouse Woodworks maker Ken Thibert. A semiretired contractor, Thibert has been a student of furniture building since he was just a teen. Today, he uses his talents to transform reclaimed wood and barn wood into rustic, useful furnishings — from gun boxes, corner cabinets, and clocks, to pie safes, tables, and liquor cabinets. Most pieces are custom made to order and come in a variety of styles, paint washes, and sizes. • Reclaimed Wood Clock (from $89.95) • Liquor Cabinet (from $345) • Antique White-Brushed Barnwood Hutch (from $1,450)

TULSA wanderrust.com | 815-258-8265

Unsatisfied with the quality of jewelry found in most retail outlets, Joseph Jenner set out to create his own. It all started with a pair of simple, solid sterling studs for his wife. Today, the Wander Rust artisan crafts bespoke, minimalist pieces with quality construction and materials, drawing his inspiration from basic geometric shapes, historical textile patterns, and natural forms, such as bird feathers, crystals, and plants. • Minimalist Stud Earrings ($18-$35) • Mokume-Gane (Japanese for woodgrain, $70) • Textured Belt Buckle ($65) • Copper Textured Bracelet ($30)

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BT BEYOND TULSA A town with old-world Oklahoma charm mixed with modern sensibilities, Claremore has slowly but surely become one of the sweet spots in Northeast Oklahoma for shopping, dining, and unwinding.

Retail Rendezv us

By Michele Chiappetta Photos by Rob Harmon Less than 30 miles northeast of Tulsa, Claremore is an accessible destination for a full day of shopping, dining, and sightseeing. Named after the Osage Indian chief, Claremore, this town has a rich history. Thirty-three years before Oklahoma was granted statehood, a post office was built in this area for the Cherokee Nation. But perhaps Claremore is best known as the birthplace and home of one of the country’s favorite 20th-century entertainers, Will Rogers. So many of the buildings in downtown Claremore date back to the early 1900s, with several older than the state of Oklahoma itself. Since the 1990s, with a continual effort for renewal called the Main Street Project, Claremore has slowly but surely become one of the sweet spots in Northeast Oklahoma for shopping, dining, and unwinding. It’s a town with old-world Oklahoma charm mixed with modern sensibilities. The Main Street shops, inside almost 30 different historic, refurbished buildings on Will Rogers Boulevard, put their unique spin on recreational retail therapy, exploring, and all that comes with a fun day trip. There are so many enjoyable sights to see in this beautiful town. Murals of working men and women, flowers, and the like decorate buildings. Decorating the corners of downtown intersections are metal sculptures — a bicycle, a giant coffee cup, and more than a couple of Will Rogers, including one of him reading a newspaper on a bench. Commemorative plaques along the sidewalks, and in front of several of the old buildings, provide small history lessons. Food, fun, and frivolity await anyone visiting Claremore for the day. There are plenty of benches for sitting, resting, and people watching on Will Rogers Boulevard before you get back to browsing the boutiques, furniture, antiques, jewelry, and clothing stores.

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Crooked Roots Design 3 23 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. CLAREMORE

A go-to spot for event planning and floral design in Green Country, Crooked Roots has a reputation for naturally designed floral arrangements with an extraordinary flair for color. You will enjoy picking out flowers almost as much as giving them to a loved one. The team of creative florists will design an arrangement that fits your desires and personality. The shop can cater to any occasion. You can learn some tricks of the trade at their occasional workshops, which show you how to make floral arrangements look beautiful.

Boarding House Books 3 00 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. CLAREMORE

Over a century ago, the Ward Boarding House

welcomed weary travelers, one and all, from the Dust Bowl days to postWorld War II. They came, arriving by horse, train, automobile, and on foot. All these years later, with its rich history intact, the building houses a fabulous bookstore, full of all kinds of genres for children, general readers, and collectors. Book enthusiasts will have quite a time perusing the thousands of fiction and nonfiction books lining the shelves in each of the former bedrooms. A bathtub filled to the brim with books in the boarding house’s old upstairs washroom makes this store a one-of-a-kind experience. Book lovers can easily spend a few hours or more in this excellent spot, finding that perfect book or two add to their collection.

The Cranberry Merchant 4 17 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. CLAREMORE

This gigantic store, jampacked with antiques and must-have collectibles, is a time traveler’s paradise. So many pop-culture and American items fill the shelves of this enormous antique mall. Cookbooks from back in the day, ceramic bowls and vases in pristine condition, Frankoma pottery that could readily be displayed in a museum, vintage signs from all over the country — these and so much more are yours for the buying. Don’t forget to look upstairs, where

an entire additional floor of unbelievable finds await. Antique furniture of all styles and shapes are displayed throughout the store, waiting for their new home.

Hammett House Restaurant 1 616 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. CLAREMORE

The scent of tasty home cooking fills the air the second you enter this Green Country gem. A Northeastern Oklahoma landmark since the late 1960s, it’s a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Their daily lunch and dinner specials, featuring items such as

BEYOND TULSA BT

their country fried steak and prime rib, are truly mouthwatering. Don’t get too full, though. You’ll need to save room for a piece of one of their many flavors of pie — coconut crème, German chocolate, buttermilk chess, doublecrust cherry, and more. The friendly staff of the Hammett House may be the real reason this place has been going strong for over 50 years. It’s like the front end and back end of the restaurant are competing to see who is favorite. You’ll see what we mean when you visit this Route 66 restaurant.

all over enjoy this one-ofa-kind exhibition every year, viewing the museum’s treasures and recalling yesteryear. Make sure to take in some pop culture by finding the vintage sci-fi Buck Rogers disintegrator ray gun too.

Free Wi-Fi Internet Access!

Molly’s Landing Open Since 1984

Steak & Seafood Only 3 1/2 miles from Hard Rock Casino on Highway 66 (Route 66)

918.266.7853

www.mollyslanding.com

The Haberdashery J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum 3 30 N. J. M. DAVIS BLVD. CLAREMORE

Housing the world’s most extensive private firearms collection, this mammoth, 40,000-square-foot museum has some unique items found nowhere else. There’s a gun once owned by Oklahoma’s infamous robber, “Pretty Boy” Floyd, as well as weapons from Bonnie Parker of the colorful criminal couple, Bonnie and Clyde, and the Mexican Revolutionary general, Pancho Villa. Since the late 1960s, its collection of over 14,000 weapons has been available for the public to enjoy. Tens of thousands of visitors from

4 07 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD. CLAREMORE

For the discerning male with a dapper mindset, The Haberdashery is a must. Who would have thought that a store in Claremore would become a leader in bringing the latest trends for men to Green Country? From comfortable and casual clothes to accessories, their collections are designed for today’s man. Intended not merely to dress every guy, but to attend to grooming, exploring, and all the other needs of the modern gentleman, the Haberdashery is the place for men’s apparel, accessories, and more. Browse coats, hats, ties, leather satchels, smoking accessories, and more at this fun shop.

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SS STYLE + SHOPPING

candy crush CATERING TO A SENSE OF WONDER AND EXCITEMENT, SWEET BOUTIQUE OFFERS A SATISFYING SUGAR RUSH WITH AN ABUNDANT SELECTION OF TRUFFLES, MACARONS, NUTS, FUDGE, AND CANDIES IN ALL THEIR GOOEY, CHEWY, BEAUTIFUL FORMS. BYÂ MICHELE CHIAPPETTA & PHOTOS BY SARAH ELIZA ROBERTS

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STYLE + SHOPPING SS Sweet tooth got you distracted and in need of a fix? There’s a perfect place to feed that craving — Sweet Boutique, a boutique mom-and-pop candy and chocolate shop at The Boxyard in downtown Tulsa. Sweet Boutique is the magical creation of the Malik family — husband and wife Naved and Nisa, in partnership with sons, Shaan and Azeem. The Maliks also own the popular Nut Hut kiosk in the Tulsa Promenade, which also features chocolate and has been a go-to spot among Tulsans for many years. But their space at The Boxyard takes that sweet theme to a higher level, with so many creative concoctions that children and adults can’t resist. The Boxyard shop has been open for nearly three years, a testament to the Malik family’s

love for all things downtown. “All this stuff is going on in downtown,” says Nisa, who is excited to see downtown Tulsa on the upswing. “We loved the concept of The Boxyard, the shipping containers. We thought it was so cool, and we love the people around here. It’s got such a nice vibe to it. We wanted something different and unique.” “Also, I love chocolate,” adds Shaan. “So, we figured, why not?” Why not, indeed. Sweet Boutique is an explosion of colors and flavors, both in the decorations that hang on the walls and in the glass cases where a host of tasty goodies sit waiting for you to explore them. The shop is warm and inviting, with eclectic music playing and service with a smile, a mix of modern and old-fashioned styles that are hard to beat. This shop caters to the sense of wonder and excitement every kid has when seeing a spread of so many candy options to choose from. “We’re known for our chocolatecovered nuts and also roasted nuts. And our Bavarian nuts,” says Nisa. It’s one of their bestselling items because people crave it so much. But really, you’ll fall hard for just about everything in this wonderful store. Whatever your preference, Sweet Boutique undoubtedly has it. Like sour flavors? Give the cherry sours, Sour Patch Kids, and sour gummy worms a look-see. Fans of coffee will adore the chocolatecovered espresso beans, a top seller in the store. Are you feeling nutty? In addition to the Bavarian almonds, cashews, and pecans, try the almond bark, peanut clusters, and mixed nuts. Like fruity flavors? Then chocolate raisins await you, as do fruit slices. Don’t overlook the chocolate-covered toffee or their selection of fudges either.

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SS STYLE + SHOPPING Fans of the concept, “bigger is better,” will not be disappointed. The enormous chocolate malted balls, the oversized peanut butter cups, the monster-sized jawbreakers — all will tempt you in. The gummies will make your children’s eyes pop. Picture raspberries, blackberries, traditional gummy bears, chocolate-covered gummy bears, peach rings, and gummy worms. There are even gummy snakes — candy that is so long, your children will be begging you to buy some. For fans of macarons, the light and chewy French confection that has been all the rage in recent years, anyway, hard to find items. If people can’t find something, we’ll find it for them.” Sweet Boutique has even done mixes of candies for wedding treats and catered events. They can pull together a specialty mix for whatever you need, whether it’s individual gifts for your bridal party, takeaways from kids’ birthdays, and even business gifts.

“It’s all the same weight, so people can come in and mix and match

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And if you have questions or a special request, call the store or stop in to ask, because the Maliks want to cater to their customers. “We’ll search for it,” says Shaan. “We’re known for that,” says Nisa. “That’s our specialty

SWEET BOUTIQUE

The Boxyard | 502 E. 3rd Ave. | Tulsa 918-900-2238 sweetboutique.space

The store will also have gingerbread houses for Christmas. And with Valentine’s Day close for those romantics savvy enough to start planning, don’t forget that Sweet Boutique can deliver a mix of chocolatecovered strawberries and truffles rich and tempting enough that even Cupid would throw up his hands and surrender.

At the holidays, Sweet Boutique is an ideal place to purchase gifts for those special people in your life, from old-fashioned, classic, nostalgic boxes ideal for nesting a few tasty truffles, to sizable attractive tins that you can build into a perfectly customized selection.

And for those in need of sugarfree choices, the Malik family hasn’t forgotten about you. They curate their sugar-free candies carefully to ensure they satisfy that dietary need as well as tasting delicious. “It tastes so good, you really can’t tell the difference,” says Nisa. The truffles are kosher if you’re shopping for a Hanukkah gift.

whatever they like,” says Shaan. “You can have gummy bears mixed with nuts. I feel like it’s more personal if you make it your own and mix what they like. It’s better than getting something prepackaged.”

Sweet Boutique is a must. They get their macarons from famous chef Florian Bellanger, who has been a judge on the competition baking show Cupcake Wars. And the store does snow cones, especially welcome in warmer months.

With The Boxyard shop doing so well and sparking so many creative ideas, the Maliks are looking to expand into other locations around town as opportunities permit. Stay tuned for more on that front. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday: Noon-5 p.m.

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LP LAUNCH PAD

MATTERS WITH PERSONAL AND BUSINESS FINANCIAL PRIORITIES NOT ALWAYS ALIGNING, SOMETIMES THE TASK OF MANAGING BOTH CAN FEEL LIKE A JUGGLING ACT FOR SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS. By Michele Chiappetta Money. It’s one big reason smallbusiness owners open their own company, and it’s one significant determining factor for whether you stay open or have to shutter your doors. Better grab that cash with both hands and make a stash, as Pink Floyd might say. But seriously, how do you do that? What do you need to know to be successful at managing your monthly cash flow, the lifeblood of your company? The first, most important rule to handling finances is to talk

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directly with a professional who can help you navigate the unique aspects of your business. There’s nothing like personalized advice. But there are also several general steps you can take to make your financial life easier, says Carri Shockley, president of Shockley Bookkeeping and Tax Services in Broken Arrow. Step one? Find out what mistakes you’re making and avoid them. “The mistake that I see most is that business owners don’t know the tax laws and how to spend their money the

best way possible to get the best deductions,” says Shockley. “They also tend to see a large amount of money in the business checking account and don’t realize how fast it can dwindle.” In other words, managing your business funds well requires planning. And there’s nothing better for that than budgeting. “Budgeting gives you a good starting point. Whether you have unexpected charges and expenses come up or not, at least you can know approximately where your money is going,” says Shockley.

Once money comes in (yay!), where should you put it? While it’s easy to put the cash into your personal account, Shockley says that’s a mistake. It’s smarter to have separate accounts, one for personal income and one for your company. “You do need to keep them separate,” she says. “Should they ever be audited or go through a lawsuit, keeping personal and business accounts separated will reduce the liability that the government or the person who is filing the lawsuit can

go through your personal accounts.” To do this, open a business checking account and have a designated business credit card. Beyond a checking account, Shockley recommends having a business-savings account where you can put profits. “There are a lot of people trying to access your business checking accounts,” she says. “By keeping your operating account not so full of cash, you can move money back and forth through savings to keep it from getting hit by bank fraud.” Once you’re effectively managing day-to-day business finances, it’s time to take the next step — reducing your tax liability. After all, one of the major concerns for small businesses is the large percentage of income that state and federal governments want to tap you for. It’s discouraging to watch your hard-earned cash waving goodbye as you pay it in taxes. Thankfully, there are ways to make taxes less painful. First of all, ask your accountant good questions: “How do I keep my hard-earned money in my bank accounts? What is not allowed to be written off on a tax return? Do I need to pay estimated taxes? How do I need to set up my business? Do I need to pay myself payroll?” Beyond that, make investments. “Investments are a good opportunity to put money away for your future or your kids’ future,” Shockley says. “Plus, you keep the money for yourself; you can have a tax write-off and owe fewer taxes or none at all.” As a business owner, there are several ways you can invest. Talk with a financial adviser to learn the most up-to-date tips and investment opportunities, says Shockley, because accountants don’t always have the expertise to offer investment advice the way a financial adviser is trained to do.

Shockley also suggests considering state-specific donations. “A good deduction for the state of Oklahoma is the Oklahoma Scholarship Opportunity Fund,” she says. “This particular donation not only gives you a write-off of the amount you paid in, but you also can obtain a tax credit depending on what you donate to them. You can check out more information on their website [osfkids.org].” Also, don’t forget about spending cash on legitimate business needs. “Buy a vehicle or a piece of equipment before the end of the year is finished,” says Shockley. “You can write off the majority of the purchase or the full amount, depending on what type of vehicle or equipment you purchase.” Your accountant can help you figure this out. And what if you don’t have an accountant? That’s not unusual for startups and freelancers, but turning to an expert helps you make sound financial decisions. And handing off this timeconsuming task to someone else frees you up to do more of what you love. So, how do you choose the right accountant? “The accountant/bookkeeper should be trustworthy, dependable, and accurate,” says Shockley. She also suggests looking for someone who admits what they don’t know. “I know this sounds strange,” she says, “but if someone always claims to know everything or never admits if they have made a mistake, they aren’t very teachable or easy to work with. “Also, they have to be able to adjust to what the business owner is wanting. This is the business owner’s money, and we, as accountants/ bookkeepers, have to realize that the business owner has the final say.”

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HF HEALTH + FITNESS

noel nibbles

COMBINE THE EXCITEMENT OF OPENING STOCKINGS ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH THE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS CERTAIN NUTRITIOUS AND TASTY SNACKS CAN PROVIDE. BY ASHTON GREER As Jan. 1 approaches, more and more people begin to think about the goals they want to achieve and maintain. But before they can get to breaking or keeping resolutions, they have to get past the holiday season that can tax the arteries and strain the waistline. By eating just 200 extra calories a day, you could pack on two to three pounds during December alone. That doesn’t sound like much, except few people shed that extra weight in the following months and years.

that you might slip into stockings, consider adding in a few items that might help keep with good health. While it might feel good to gobble up high-calorie treats Christmas morning, and throughout the day, they will eventually leave you feeling sluggish as the day continues and could ruin your Christmas spirit.

And one way to help your friends and family is with what you put in the holiday stockings.

The snacks that we tend to overload into family's and friend's stocktings often contain harsh ingredients such as artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Eat too much of these ingredients over time and inflammation can occur, which is often associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and even cardiovascular diseases.

In addition to candy canes, peanut brittle, and chocolate

You don’t have to be a total scrooge and say no to all the

You don’t need to deprive yourself, eat only dull foods, or take your treats with a side order of guilt. But you need to be careful.

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treats, but putting a little bit of conscious thought into what you buy could make a big difference. Substitutions do not have to be crazy, and you don’t need to go as far as stuffing your family's stockings with carrots or apples. That would bring some disappointing looks and even tears from the little ones. All you have to do is be sneaky with it and replace half of the “bad” and unhealthy snacks with healthier snacks that even include candy bars. Here is a list of some healthy snacks you can put in an exercise addict’s stocking but will work for grandparents, teenagers, children, and even men, who tend to be on the pickier side. There is a great variety that ranges from chocolatey, sweet, and salty, to crunchy and even gummy.

KIND BARS KIND Bars are deliciously crispy and chewy, and combine a variety of mixed dry fruits and nuts. With flavors such as peanut butter dark chocolate, sea salt, and glazed maple pecan, there is no way your family and friends can say no. Not only do you receive a great serving of heart-healthy mixed nuts, but this bar provides bacteria-fighting fiber. Another benefit that these sweettasting KIND Bars offer is that they are low in saturated fat and high in healthy fats that contain essential fatty acids that your body can’t produce on its own. This fat also helps leave you full and satisfied between meals. There is also four times less sugar in these bars in comparison to “unhealthy” candy bars such as Hershey bars.

JUSTIN’S PEANUT BUTTER SQUEEZE PACKS Cute tiny protein-packed pouches filled with tasty and guilt-free peanut or almond butter, these squeeze packs are not only perfect for filling stockings but are great when running late to school or work. Justin’s Peanut Butter also comes in jars and is not like usual “healthy” peanut butter that contains that icky layer of liquid on the top that ends up spilling everywhere when you're trying to stir it around. It comes in a no-stir form and gluten-free. The packs come in many flavors, including classic peanut/almond butter and honey peanut/almond butter. They also come in peanut butter cups for all the Reese’s lovers out there.

HEALTH + FITNESS HF KRAVE JERKY Krave snacks are made with tender, gourmet cuts of meat and simple ingredients like black cherries and chili peppers. Every bite of Krave is low in fat, a good source of protein, gluten-free, and contains all-natural ingredients with no artificial anything and minimal processing. Ranging from sweet and tangy to savory and spicy, the uniqueness of each Krave flavor profile appeals to protein lovers, discerning palates, and health-conscious gourmands. Containing low amounts of fat, high vitamins, and iron, and 100 calories or less per serving, this is the perfect non-sugary stocking stuffer. ANNIE’S FRUIT SNACKS Swap out the usual gummies with these organic and gelatin-free fruit snacks. Annie’s snacks are made from real fruit juice and have tons of fun flavors for everyone including pink lemonade, sunny citrus, and berry patch. Also, in comparison to Haribo gummies, one serving of Annie’s is around 70 calories, while one serving of Haribo is 130 calories. This can make a big difference when trying to reduce the number of calories you eat in a day and also when you are trying to save some calories for the big Christmas dinner later in the day. Parents love that they are certified organic and don’t contain artificial flavors, synthetic colors, or high fructose corn syrup. Children love the delicious taste and fun bunny shapes.

SKINNYPOP POPCORN When we think about popcorn during the holidays, we usually think of the popcorn that comes in those large tin containers. Each tin usually has three or four different sections containing a cheesy flavored popcorn, a caramel covered popcorn, and some original salted flavor. Sometimes, as you mix the different flavors, it can become an addicting habit, and then 20 minutes later, you realize you have eaten almost half of the container. Well, instead of eating that high sugar and calorie popcorn, try SkinnyPop Popcorn. This is such a better and healthier alternative because it is only 39 calories a cup, whole-grain, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and has about four times less the amount of sodium (75 mg compared to 270 mg sodium in Pop Secret popcorn). With all of these benefits, and flavors such as butter, white cheddar, and sweet and salty kettle, there is no reason not to include these in your stockings. THEO CHOCOLATE BARS These deep and rich bars contain organic ingredients that you can pronounce, including cocoa beans, cocoa butter, almonds, and sea salt. Not only should you include them in your stockings this year because of these natural ingredients, but because of the company’s values. The founders of the company purchase their ingredients from farmers around the world so that chocolate can be made in a way that allows everyone in the bean to bar process to thrive. Therefore, you are not only receiving a great natural product in the form of a candy bar, but you are also helping the world connect in more ways than one.

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ET EATS + TREATS

delicious december by SARAH HERRERA photos by SARAH HERRERA

BAKING FOR CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THE HOLIDAYS. IN THAT SPIRIT, WE'VE ROUNDED UP THREE SWEETS THAT WILL ADD SOME WHIMSY TO YOUR HOLIDAY TABLE. The most wonderful time of the year is here, and that means the most wonderful eats and treats are near. During the holiday season, there is an occasion for every sort of dish imaginable and always a ready excuse to explain away eating sweet

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treats, decadent snacks, and sumptuous desserts. Whether you want to cozy up with hot cocoa and a plate of cookies or prepare the fanciest of feasts with the most fabulous dessert platters to follow, sugar and spice are everywhere.

So, if you find yourself in a pinch or you can’t narrow down which new recipe to test, give one (or all) of these treats a try and trust that yums will follow. Plus, these goodies do more than fill bellies to the brim —

they add a dash of decoration to tabletops, they make kiddos smile with their whimsical presentation, and they cover all the foodie favorites from sweet and salty snick-snacks to melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

CHRISTMAS CORNFLAKE WREATHS Adapted from TastesBetterFromScratch.com These sticky treats are fun to make, more fun to eat, and the most fun to enjoy with friends and family. Plus, not only do they make for a good time — they make for beautiful table décor.

EATS + TREATS ET

INGREDIENTS: /2 cup butter 1 5 cups mini marshmallows

tsp. green food coloring 1 5 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal

andful of red H cinnamon candies

DIRECTIONS:

1. Measure cornflakes into a large bowl. 2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, then add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in food coloring. 3. Pour melted green marshmallows into the large bowl with the cornflakes. Stir until well coated. 4. Lay out a piece of parchment paper on your kitchen counter. Dollop spoonfuls of the cornflake mixture onto the parchment paper. 5. Grease two spoons with butter or cooking oil and shape each spoonful of cornflake mixture into a wreath. 6. Top each wreath with cinnamon candies.

PRETZEL TURTLES PEPPERMINT MELT‑AWAY COOKIES Adapted from Cooking Classy With the crumble of a cookie and the decadence of a dessert mint, these fancy treats make for a party in your mouth. COOKIES INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cups flour 1 1/2 cup cornstarch

/4 tsp. salt 1 1 cup butter, softened

/2 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

/4 tsp. peppermint extract 1 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

/4 cup finely crushed 1 peppermint candy

FROSTING INGREDIENTS: Tbsp. butter, softened 2 2 Tbsp. half-and-half

Adapted from CookingClassy.com Effortless and classic, these three-ingredient turtles are sweet, salty, and an easy crowd favorite. Make them for a party or make them for yourself; either way, you won’t be sorry. INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. 2. In another mixing bowl (with an electric mixer), mix butter and powdered sugar until combined. 3. Mix in peppermint extract and add in flour mixture. Mix until combined. 4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for an hour. 5. Heat oven to 350 degrees during the last 15 minutes of chilling. 6. Scoop dough out in even tablespoon amounts, shape into a ball, and place on an ungreased baking sheet two inches apart. 7. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes. 8. Let cool on the baking sheet then transfer to wire rack. 9. In a bowl with the electric mixer, mix butter, halfand-half, peppermint extract, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. 10. Spread the frosting over one cookie and immediately add crushed peppermint bits to the frosted cookie. 11. Repeat for each cookie.

1 bag of Rolo candies (50 Rolos) 50 mini pretzels 50 pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 3. Lay pretzels in a single layer on a baking sheet. 4. Place a Rolo in the center of each pretzel. 5. Warm inside the oven for four minutes. 6. Remove from oven and slightly press one pecan into each Rolo. 7. Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and let the chocolate set. 8. Remove each turtle from the parchment and serve.

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Diane and Chris Riley

GOODL BATIONS For Chris and Diane Riley, it’s not just about buying a bottle of wine or whiskey. Riley’s Wine & Spirits serves as an extension of the couple’s passionate desire to help and entertain the Tulsa community. By Michele Chiappetta // Photos by Sarah Eliza Roberts

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Enjoying a glass of wine or fine liquor is a lot like enjoying a painting or music. It’s an experience that involves artistry as much as anything else. So, perhaps it’s not surprising that one of the more popular wine and spirits shops in town is owned by artists who appreciate everything that makes living in Tulsa so wonderful. Riley’s Wine & Spirits is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Chris and Diane Riley. Chris is also a musician who has written in every style and genre of music. (You get a hint of that in the shop’s logo, which features a guitar.) Diane is a painter and mixed media artist. They’re involved in local events like Tulsa Little Jam and MisFEST.

You’ve likely seen them around town somewhere. Both have a passion for providing Tulsans with great wine and spirits, as well as making a difference in the local community. Their wine and spirits shops blend that love for art and local sensibilities for a shopping experience customers can’t help but love. “I love the culture, I love the passion that goes into wineries and even a bottle of bourbon,” says Diane. “There’s an art behind creating a bottle of spirits or wine. It goes hand in hand with my artwork. Art, music, and tastings go well together.” Riley’s Wine & Spirits started in south Tulsa, taking ownership a few years ago of what was then

Warren’s, a fixture in that part of town. Last year, they expanded to a second location downtown at The Boxyard, a hip shopping center made from repurposed ocean shipping containers. Each Riley’s location has its vibe, but both offer something the Rileys care about — quality products and excellent service. Because, as they say, it’s all about the customers.

is more selective of what they want, more artsy and diverse.”

“We’ve got great clients,” says Diane.

At Riley’s, it is decidedly fun to browse the shelves and choose what you want to take home to enjoy with a meal or splash into a specialty drink. You can expect to find plenty of old favorites, of course, as well as a robust variety of the latest craft releases, hard-to-find brews, and seasonal flavors. They carry several types of Irish whiskeys, which are a popular item.

“Both stores have different stock and clientele,” Chris says. Each location caters to the tastes of those who frequent them. “At our south store, the wines are very selective. There’s a suburban feel. Downtown

If it’s a locally made spirit you’re looking for, Riley’s is a great place to shop. “We try to carry everything local,” says Chris. That includes local spirits and beers from all the crafters in the area— “COOP Ale Works, Marshall,

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Their hosted events are lively and feature plenty of local flair. “We like to bring in live music to pair with tastings,” Diane says. To sign up for tastings and private events, stop by either store location, and ask to be on the email list. You can expect to see Riley’s having a presence at many local

“I am so proud of our Riley’s Event Center,” says Diane. “I enjoy helping the community, and the event center has given us the platform to do it.”

rileyswine.com

And if you’re looking for a space to host your party, consider using Riley’s Event Center, located right next to The Boxyard store. The space, which is private and separate from the liquor store, is appropriate for birthday parties, engagements, charity fundraisers, and corporate events. It fits 20-40 people comfortably, with an outdoor patio area as well.

The Boxyard | 502 E. 3rd St., Units 14-15 | Tulsa 918-900-2241

Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday: Closed

RILEY’S WINE & SPIRITS

8058 S. Yale Ave. | Tulsa 918-960-3008 rileyswine.com

Don’t neglect the shindigs that Riley’s hosts at their store. “We do tastings all the time at The Boxyard,” says Chris. “We try to have them seasonally and during the holidays.”

RILEY’S WINE & SPIRITS

They also offer a carefully curated variety of wines, mainly choices not carried in grocery stores. If you’ve enjoyed a particular wine at a restaurant in the area, be sure to stop in at Riley’s and ask about it. Many of those wines, they’ll carry on their shelves. And if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, ask. The Rileys are happy to make

“I have everything you’ll want for parties,” says Chris. They even carry ice and snacks that are easy to grab and take with you like soda, Red Bull, and other items.

events, parties, and fundraisers — such as the St. John’s Street Party, Guthrie Green’s annual Irish Festival, The Tasting at Woodward Park ( formerly Wine and Roses). “We do a huge event with Animal Aid, a group that deals with highly abused animals,” says Diane. “I feel I have a purpose in life to help our community.”

The love for local makers includes wines and spirits as well as beer. “I love Indian Grass; that’s a local vodka made by Oklahoma Distilling Co.,” says Diane. “I also like Downward Dog, a boxed wine that is locally made. We love to carry local products.” The Rileys say they are always expanding and growing their local selections, and looking for ways to get more involved with all the distilleries in the area.

suggestions based on what you like, and they’ll walk you through some questions to help arrive at the right wine or spirit for your tastes.

Cabin Boys, Prairie, so many different companies,” he says.

Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday: Closed

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GK GETTING TO KNOW

Armed with a palette of chalk and a prodigious talent for drawing, Ana Vela has carved out a niche decorating chalkboards for restaurants and bars. by GINA CONROY photos by SARAH ELIZA ROBERTS You’ve seen them at art festivals, or perhaps you’ve glimpsed one of these unique, colorful paintings unexpectedly on the sidewalk. They’re bright and interesting, challenging any passerby not to stop and stare for a while. The color, the design, the detail are impressive on its own. But throw in the fact that they’re created with chalk, and it’s no wonder these paintings seem to pull us in like Bert’s sidewalk drawings in Mary Poppins.

ANA VELA

While chalk art can be traced back to early cave drawings, it didn’t become a legitimate art form until 16th century Italy. Traveling beggars, also known as vagabonds, realized they could earn more money when their efforts to panhandle or entertain were accompanied by sidewalk art. Portraits of Mary, the Madonna, were especially popular and lucrative, thus these traveling artists soon became known as Madonnari. Today, chalk art is no longer confined to the sidewalk. In fact, it’s popping up in restaurants and other establishments, allowing a broader audience to appreciate the local talent and this unique art form. Walk through the doors of pretty much any restaurant or bar these days, and you’re sure to spot menu items in sweeping curlicues and block-like shading on chalkboards behind the bar. Or perhaps folding

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chalkboards greet you on the sidewalk as you come in, hoping to tickle your taste buds with the specials of the day. Tulsa art student Ana Vela, who went to work for Prairie Brewpub as a server while on a break from her studies in graphic design, didn’t know her passion for art would brew up a love for this new medium. “I’ve done art my entire life,” says Vela, who has sketchbooks full of old drawings from when she was younger. “Art has been a huge part of my life.” When the manager at Prairie Brewpub discovered Vela had an artistic background, he asked her to do the menu boards. Vela, who usually worked with acrylic paint, was up for the challenge. “I first started doing the words of the beers, nothing too fancy,” says Vela. “Then, I started progressing in art.” In the beginning, Vela’s menu board art was simple, with not much detail. Then she started working with shading and mixing colors. Vela says, “It’s been fun experimenting.” She admits chalk art works well with her personality since it dries fast. “I’m a very impatient person, and this medium allows me to work fast,” says Vela, who tried oil painting before, but wasn’t patient enough to continue since it takes longer to dry.

Inspiration for Vela’s chalk art comes from incredibly talented abstract artists, and she tries to incorporate that style into her menu boards. Though she admits her menu art isn’t to the degree of Jackson Pollack’s art, her style can be described as a modern take on pop culture, focusing mainly on portraits.

another one of her passions. The show included 25 other artists and skateboarders. “I think I’ve met more artists through skateboarding than I have through anything else,” says Vela. You might think art and skateboarding don’t have much in common, but Vela disagrees. “Both skateboarding and art are great avenues to express creative freedom,” says Vela. Since both are done in solitude, Vela has learned a lot of patience with herself.

Since the brewer names its beers for popular songs, it makes it fun and relatively easy for her to think up with a concept. However, Vela has a lot of freedom and flexibility with her designs.

Even though she’s only been skating for a year, skateboarding has changed her perception of the world. “It changes the way you view benches, rails, and a set of stairs,” says Vela. “It’s built my confidence in my art, and it’s allowed me to focus on building my style.”

“Coming up with the concept usually depends on the name of the beer and what transpires in my head,” says Vela. “Some days are harder if I’m dealing with creative blocks.” There are 40 menu boards; 20 in the main dining room, and 20 by the bar. “I try to relate the name to the music or film, something people recognize so they’re more excited about the beer,” says Vela. “Some [of the names] are straightforward from a certain artist, but a lot of it is my interpretation.” Vela’s first idea for the beer Mothership Connection was aliens. “I thought, ‘What was a good movie that everyone who’s of age to drink beer can remember?’” She decided on Independence Day and drew Will Smith with the mothership behind him. “I threw in a beer to make it funny.” Some other examples of Vela’s interpretations and pop culture references can be seen in the

menu art for Velvet Track Suit. Vela thought it’d be funny to draw Run-D.M.C. all holding beers because “they were always flashing Adidas track suits.” Even though the canned beers Twist and Imaginary Friends have art by Prairie Artisan Ales artist Colin Healey, the can art is separate from the beer boards. “[For Twist] I did the Pulp Fiction scene where Mia and Vince do the twist,” says Vela. For the Imaginary Friends IPA, she drew Frank from Donnie Darko on one menu board and Fight Club for the other board. “Each 4 by 16 ½ inch drawing usually takes anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour,” says Vela. “We rotate beers out a lot, so that can be a lot of work.”

While Vela enjoys creating new art for the same beers, it’s bittersweet every time she has to erase her work and start over. “I have trouble saying goodbye to my art,” says Vela. “There have been a couple of paintings I didn’t want to sell, but after it’s spent some time with me, I was ready to let it go.” Prairie Brewpub is not the only place you can find Vela’s chalk art. “I’ve done a few menu boards at New Era Fine Fermentations, but they don’t rotate beers much,” says Vela, who also did their brewery’s mural. Recently, Vela finished an art show at Cameron Studios with the theme skateboarding,

As for the future, Vela is focusing on building her portfolio specifically with the skateboards, and she’d like to have them in more shows. She’s also purchased a considerable piece of chalkboard, which she plans to do chalk art on and sell it, eventually. “I want to learn how to spray paint because I want to do more big-scale art and murals,” says Vela, who encourages other artists to not only study their favorite art form but the artists in that medium. “Keep a sketchbook and draw or write whatever comes to mind, no matter how random it is. Be confident in yourself, and focus on what inspires you, and never worry about what other people think.”

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SL SHELF LIFE

NONFICTION/MEMOIR

LITERARY / CONTEMPORARY

MYSTERY, THRILLER AND SUSPENSE

ROMANCE/WOMEN’S FICTION

DEC. 3 DEC. 3 DEC. 3

DEC. 3

LABYRINTH OF ICE

A MADNESS OF SUNSHINE

WOULD LIKE TO MEET

In July 1881, Lt. A.W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers confronted vicious wolves, subzero temperatures, and months of total darkness as they set about exploring one of the most remote, unrelenting environments on the planet. In May 1882, they broke the 300-year-old record, and returned to camp to eagerly await the resupply ship scheduled to return at the end of the year, only nothing came.

Golden Cove, New Zealand, is peaceful. Then one fateful summer, several people vanish, leaving behind whispers, broken friendships, and a silent agreement to not look back. But eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.

Can you fall in love like they do in the movies? It’s Evie’s job to find out because if she can’t convince her film agency’s biggest client, Ezra Chester, to write the rom-com screenplay he owes producers, her career will be over. The catch? He thinks romcoms are unrealistic — and he’ll only put pen to paper if Evie shows him that it’s possible to meet a man in real life the way it happens on the big screen.

BY BUDDY LEVY

ALSO LOOK FOR:

HOW NOT TO DIET BY MICHAEL GREGER DEC. 10

Obesity rates are rising, and with it, a growing number of diseases and health problems. It’s time for a different approach. How Not to Diet goes beyond food to identify 21 weight-loss accelerators that maximize our natural fat-burning capabilities.

BY NALINI SINGH

FIX IT WITH FOOD BY MICHAEL SYMON AND DOUGLAS TRATTNER DEC. 3

When celebrity chef Michael Symon found out he had rheumatoid arthritis and external lupus, he suspected food could make a profound difference. Avoiding dairy, sugar, and processed flours caused his inflammation to vanish.

94 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

REPUTATION BY SARA SHEPARD DEC. 3

Aldrich University is rocked to its core when a hacker dumps the emails of 40,000 people onto an easily searchable database. Rumors and affairs immediately leak, but things turn explosive when Kit Manning’s handsome husband, Dr. Greg Strasser, is found murdered.

BY RACHEL WINTERS

ALSO LOOK FOR:

JUST WATCH ME BY JEFF LINDSAY

Master thief Riley Wolfe wants to pull off a heist that will make history: stealing the Crown Jewels of Iran. Stealing these jewels seems impossible. Aside from the impenetrable security, Riley is pursued by a relentless cop who is barely a step behind him. With the aid of his sometime ally, a beautiful master art forger, Riley goes for the prize that will either make him a legend — or, more likely, leave him dead. ALSO LOOK FOR:

THE WICKED REDHEAD BY BEATRIZ WILLIAMS

MEG AND JO BY VIRGINIA KANTRA

THE CLERGYMAN’S WIFE BY MOLLY GREELEY

THE NETWORK BY L.C. SHAW

DEC. 10

DEC. 3

Investigative journalist Jack Logan receives a surprise visit from U.S. Senator Malcolm Phillips. In a panic, the senator swears he’s about to be murdered and pleads with Jack to protect his wife, Taylor, who happens to be the only woman Jack has ever truly loved. Days later, Phillips is found dead in a hotel room in Micronesia, the apparent victim of an allergy attack.

In 1924, flapper Ginger Kelly springs to the rescue when her lover, Oliver, goes missing. Decades later, Ella Dommerich is eager to piece together the history of the mysterious Gin Kelly, whose only physical trace is a series of rare vintage photograph cards for which she modeled before she disappeared.

The March sisters — reliable Meg, independent Jo, stylish Amy, and shy Beth — have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what matters.

Charlotte Collins is the respectable, yet bored wife of Hunsford’s vicar. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer who makes her feel appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life, Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart — and how breakable that heart can be.

DEC. 17

OPPO BY TOM ROSENSTIEL DEC. 3

It’s the presidential primary season, and both parties are on edge. At campaign rallies for all the candidates, there are disturbing incidents of violence and protest. Against this backdrop, Wendy Upton, the highly respected centrist senator, must make a choice: She’s been offered the VP slot by both parties’ leading candidates.

SHELF LIFE SL

SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND HORROR

SELF-HELP AND INSPIRATIONAL

DEC. 30

DEC. 3

YOUNG ADULT AND MIDDLE GRADE

CHILDREN

DEC. 3

WALK THE WILD WITH ME

THE SELF-CARE SOLUTION

Orphaned as a toddler, Nicholas knows no other home than Locksley Abbey outside Nottingham, England. On one of his outdoor forays, Nick slips into the crypt beneath the abbey. There he finds an altar older than the abbey’s foundations and a silver cup honoring Elena, the Celtic goddess of crossroads, sorcery, and cemeteries. With Elena’s cup in his pocket, Nick can see that the masked dancers at the May Day celebration in the local village are fairy creatures of the wood.

Month by month, Dr. Ashton tackles a different area of wellness. She offers easy-to-comprehend health information about the particular challenge to help you understand its benefits and to stick with it. Whether it’s adding cardio or learning how to meditate, Dr. Ashton makes these daily lifestyle choices and changes feel possible — and shows how beneficial a mindful lifestyle can be.

BY RACHEL ATWOOD

BY JENNIFER ASHTON

CHILDREN OF VIRTUE AND VENGEANCE

ALSO LOOK FOR:

Zélie and Amari have succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But the ritual was more powerful than they could’ve imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji, but of nobles with magic ancestry too. Now, Zélie struggles to unite the maji in an Orïsha where the enemy is just as powerful as they are. Zélie must fight to secure Amari’s right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy’s wrath.

BY TOMI ADEYEMI

ALSO LOOK FOR:

THE COOL BEAN BY JORY JOHN

Always on the sidelines, one uncool bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd. One day the cool beans show him how it’s done, reminding us that it’s cooler to be kind. ALSO LOOK FOR:

HAPPY HEART BY HANNAH ELIOT DEC. 3

CROWNBREAKER BY SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL DEC. 10

Once an outlaw spellslinger, Kellen Argos is now the Daroman Queen’s protector. A little magic and a handful of tricks are all it takes to deal with the constant threats to her reign. But when rumors of an empireshattering war begin to stir, Kellen is asked to commit an unimaginable act to protect his queen.

DEAD ASTRONAUTS BY JEFF VANDERMEER DEC. 3

In a city with no name of its own, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, humans and other creatures — like a messianic blue fox, a giant fish, and ragtag rebels — converge in terrifying and miraculous ways. At stake: the fate of the future, the fate of Earth — all the Earths.

TINY HABITS: THE SMALL CHANGES THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING BY BJ FOGG DEC. 31

Based on 20 years of research and Fogg’s experience coaching more than 40,000 people, Tiny Habits cracks the code of habit formation. With breakthrough discoveries in every chapter, you’ll learn the simplest proven ways to transform your life.

BODY LOVE EVERY DAY BY KELLY LEVEQUE DEC. 30

As modern science has shown, eating protein, fat, fiber, and greens balances blood sugar, and naturally turns off your hunger hormones. But women aren’t all alike. To address their different needs, she has created comprehensive 21-day plans for different women with different needs and goals in life.

MAJOR IMPOSSIBLE BY NATHAN HALE DEC. 3

As a young man, John Wesley Powell traveled all over the United States exploring. Powell fought for the Union in the Civil War, where he lost his arm. But that didn’t stop him from exploring the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Powell would come to be known as one of the most epic explorers in history.

NINJA: THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME BY TYLER “NINJA” BLEVINS AND JUSTIN JORDAN DEC. 3

Tyler Blevins (aka “Ninja”) — the undisputed champion of the world’s most popular online battle royale — enjoys a captivated audience of millions as he decimates the competition. At the end of one fateful stream, Ninja is teleported into the battle royale’s universe, where he must find a way to stay alive, win the game and save the world.

“You are the sun in my sky. You are the apple of my eye. You mean the world to me. You make my heart so happy.” Celebrate the ones you love with this glittery heartshaped board book.

CURIOUS GEORGE: I LOVE YOU BY H.A. REY DEC. 17

What could be sweeter than a cuddly little monkey? With short, rhyming text, charming illustrations, and mirrors for little ones to engage with, this board book is the perfect gift to show your little monkey just how much you love them.

Release dates are subject to change.

PREVIEW918.COM 95

OPENS

DEC. 20

LOCATOR

S SHOWTIME

ADMIRAL TWIN DRIVE-IN 7355 E. Easton St. Tulsa | 918.878.8099 AMC SOUTHROADS 20 4923 E. 41st St. Tulsa | 888.AMC.4FUN

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER DEC. 20

OPENS

DEC. 13

THE AERONAUTS DEC. 6

Pilot Amelia Wren and scientist James Glaisher find themselves in an epic fight for survival while attempting to make discoveries in a hot air balloon. CAST: FELICITY JONES, EDDIE REDMAYNE, PHOEBE FOX RATING: PG-13

LITTLE JOE

DEC. 6

Alice, a single mother, is a dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. Against company policy, she takes one home as a gift for her teenage son, Joe. CAST: EMILY BEECHAM, BEN WHISHAW, KERRY FOX RATING: NR

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

DEC. 13

Unknown to his friends, Spencer kept the pieces of the Jumanji video game and one day repaired the system in the basement of his grandfather’s house. When Spencer’s friends Bethany, Fridge, and Martha arrive, they find Spencer missing and the game running and decide to re-enter Jumanji to save him. Spencer’s grandfather, Eddie, and his friend, Milo Walker, hear the commotion and inadvertently get sucked into the game too. The teenaged friends must help Eddie and Milo get used to their in-game avatars, get them to help find Spencer, and escape Jumanji once again and for all. CAST: DWAYNE JOHNSON, JACK BLACK, KAREN GILLAN RATING: NR

UNCUT GEMS

DEC. 13

American security guard, Richard Jewell, heroically saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but is unjustly vilified by journalists and the press who falsely report that he was a terrorist.

A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score, makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. He must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.

CAST: PAUL WALTER HAUSER, SAM ROCKWELL, KATHY BATES RATING: NR

CAST: ADAM SANDLER, KEVIN GARNETT, IDINA MENZEL RATING: R

RICHARD JEWELL DEC. 13

BLACK CHRISTMAS DEC. 13

Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. But the killer is about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t willing to become helpless victims as they mount a fight to the finish. CAST: IMOGEN POOTS, ALEYSE SHANNON, LILY DONOGHUE RATING: NR

A HIDDEN LIFE

DEC. 13

Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter is imprisoned after refusing to fight for the Third Reich in World War II. CAST: AUGUST DIEHL, VALERIE PACHNER, MICHAEL NYQVIST RATING: PG-13

CAST: DAISY RIDLEY, ADAM DRIVER, JOHN BOYEGA RATING: NR

BOMBSHELL

DEC. 20

A group of women decides to take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere when he presided over the network.

B&B CINEMA 8 1245 New Sapulpa Road Sapulpa | 918.227.7469 CINEMARK BROKEN ARROW 1801 E. Hillside Drive Broken Arrow | 918.355.0427 CINEMARK SAND SPRINGS 1112 E. Charles Page Blvd. | Sand Springs 918.894.6888 CINERGY 6808 S. Memorial Dr., Ste. 300 | Tulsa 918.894.6888 CINEMARK TULSA 10802 E. 71st S. | Tulsa 800.FAN.DANG (#1128) CIRCLE CINEMA 10 S. Lewis Ave. Tulsa | 918.592.3456 ETON SQUARE 6 CINEMA 8421 E. 61st St. Tulsa | 918.286.2618

CAST: CHARLIZE THERON, NICOLE KIDMAN, MARGOT ROBBIE RATING: NR

CATS

DEC. 20

Throughout a single night, a tribe of cats called the Jellicles make what is known as “the Jellicle choice” and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. CAST: JAMES CORDEN, JUDI DENCH, JASON DERULO RATING: NR

AMC CLASSIC OWASSO 12601 E. 86th St. N. Owasso | 918.376.9191 STARWORLD 20 10301 S Memorial Drive Tulsa | 918.369.7475 WARREN BROKEN ARROW 18 1700 W. Aspen Creek Drive Broken Arrow | 918.893.9798

1917

DEC. 27

Two young British privates during World War I are given a seemingly impossible mission: Deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldier’s brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap.

OPENS

DEC. 20 96 PREVIEW 918 DECEMBER 2019

A year after the events of The Last Jedi, the remnants of the Resistance face the First Order once again — while reckoning with the past and their inner turmoil. Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax, bringing the Skywalker saga to an end.

B&B CLAREMORE 8 1407 W. Country Club Claremore | 918.342.2422

CAST: GEORGE MACKAY, DEANCHARLES CHAPMAN, MARK STRONG RATING: R

SHOWTIME S OPENS

THE WINTER’S TALE

DEC. 4

An encore from 2015 of Kenneth Branagh’s awardwinning stage production of Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption.

DARK WATERS

OPENS DEC. 6

Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths due to one of the world’s largest corporations. Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins

CUNNINGHAM

DEC. 27

OPENS DEC. 13

The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company are stunningly profiled in Alla Kovgan’s documentary, through recreations of his landmark works and archival footage.

THE TWO POPES

OPENS DEC. 13

Behind Vatican walls, the conservative Pope Benedict, and the liberal future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church.

SPIES IN DISGUISE DEC. 27

When an unexpected event puts the world in peril, Lance Sterling, the world’s greatest super spy, must team up with his gadget inventor, Walter, to save the day while disguised as a pigeon.

CAST: ANTHONY HOPKINS, JONATHAN PRYCE

CAST: WILL SMITH, TOM HOLLAND, RASHIDA JONES RATING: PG

WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

OPENS DEC. 13

CLEMENCY

DEC. 13-14

Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

A Circle Cinema yearly tradition returns for the holidays. Irving Berlin’s musical favorite follows the talented song-and-dance team of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, who join forces with the sister act of Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen for a musical Christmas in Vermont. Select screenings will be special sing-along events.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls is stalked by a stranger. Genre pioneer Bob Clark gives us one of the most influential Hitchcockian slashers of all time.

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1922)

DEC. 14

When the king is drugged and abducted by his ambitious brother, a lookalike relative must take his place to keep the evil sibling off the throne.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

DEC. 27

CAST: ALFRE WOODARD, WENDELL PIERCE, ALDIS HODGE RATING: NR

JUST MERCY

DEC. 27

Attorney Bryan Stevenson takes the case of Walter McMillian, a man wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a white woman. CAST: MICHAEL B. JORDAN, JAMIE FOXX, BRIE LARSON RATING: PG-13

OPENS DEC. 20

On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the 18th century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

RELEASE DATES AND RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. NR = A RATING WAS NOT AVAILABLE AS OF NOV. 20, 2019

DEC. 27-28

Let’s do the “Time Warp” again, and as usual, audience participation is encouraged. Join in on the fun as hapless Janet and Brad attempt to navigate the exotic and erotic castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. CAST: TIM CURRY, SUSAN SARANDON, BARRY BOSTWICK

OPENS

DEC. 27

SPECIAL

LITTLE WOMEN

DEC. 27

Little Women explores the lives of the March sisters in 1860s New England, in the aftermath of the American Civil War. This adaptation focuses more on the sisters’ young adult lives, particularly after Meg, Jo, and Amy leave their family home. CAST: SAOIRSE RONAN, EMMA WATSON, FLORENCE PUGH RATING: PG

OPENS

DEC. 27

MONDAY IS

FREE POPCORN DAY *Circle Cinema members only

CIRCLE CINEMA 10 S. Lewis Ave. | Tulsa

SHOWTIMES: 918-592-3456 TICKETS: circlecinema.com

Check the Circle Cinema website for times, costs, additional events, and more details. Release dates, showings, and ratings are subject to change.

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